


Accidental Herald

by AikoNamika, Skeren



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Accidental Gender Change, Dimension Travel, Language Barrier, M/M, Polyamory, World Specific Friendship Rituals, accidental species change, courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 62,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6107926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AikoNamika/pseuds/AikoNamika, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skeren/pseuds/Skeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unusual creature opens a portal with it's major attacks. Unfortunately, both Sephiroth and Zack get caught in the crossfire.</p><p>More fortunately, that means that Sephiroth is now far, far beyond Jenova's reach.</p><p>Less fortunately, are the aftershocks that echo into the following months. Or years, for some.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually originally written in RP format, so if there's a bit of back and forth to the pacing, that's why. I am covering the FFVII half of this situation, and her the Valdemar locals. Enjoy!
> 
> She and I originally wrote this in 2009 and posted the first three parts on a journal website. What you're getting here is a final edit with all the previously unposted pieces.

Sephiroth wasn't sure what that magic he'd just had pelted at him _was_ exactly, but he could honestly say he didn't like it, and had to move the hand not on his sword to shield his eyes from the heat of the magic whirlwind what whipped around him. It stopped after a hard gust from behind that made him stumble.

Kero was flinging herself from her bed before Sayvil's cry had faded, ignoring Eldan's sleepy start. Trews were pulled on as she stumbled for the door, and only after she had the tunic on did she realize that it was Eldan's, because it was far too large (and actually white). Barefoot, she pounded down the short hallway and leapfrogged onto Sayvil's back before the Companion took off for the Grove, a few other marks of white indicating where other Heralds had been dragged out of their beds.

 _:There's magic. A Gate, but not a signature any of us recognize.:_ Kero held on tighter, the sword she'd absently retrieved held in one hand.

He lowered his hand slightly with a vague look around, and that movement brought a sharp sense of dizziness that sent him to his knees, Masamune biting into the ground as he tried and failed to catch himself. He hadn't ever felt so disoriented in his life. It was kind of painful. He didn't fully register the approaching figure.

The blade - the _armor_ , as odd as it was, became far too obvious as one of the Herald-Mages who'd come threw up a mage light so they could see the intruder. Sayvil slewed to a halt in front of him, Kero bringing her sword around to a guard position as she eyed the stranger closely. "Who are you?!" Despite the urgency, she did her best to keep her words clear - he looked more Tayledras than anything with that hair, but the clothing and blade didn't look like anything they'd produced.

He lifted his head and gave her a somewhat disoriented look as his first thought was 'what the hell is she saying?'. Blinking, he moved the hand he'd had over his eyes to shove his hair back, focusing to get an idea of her intention. Oh. That was a sensation he recognized. "Sephiroth."

When Kero saw those eyes, her own gaze hardened. Changechild. And something like feline eyes _wasn't_ something easy to produce - as seen by Nyara and An'desha. "Why are you here?" Her sword didn't move.

He gave something like a shrug and looked around then blinked, before outright staring at the horses. He thought those things were limited to Odin summons! He blinked a few more times, trying to reconcile the idea of those beasts outside of summons with what he knew. Time to get off the ground then.

"Hold." He wasn't going to be going anywhere just yet, and she'd much prefer him on the ground where he wasn't _quite_ as much of a threat. Because he _was_ a threat. Which was why she was rather glad that there were a few Herald-Mages here, and she heard someone back toward the Palace keeping to Guard from getting closer.

His gaze whipped back to her, but he didn't pause in pushing back to his feet, though he wasn't exactly steady. He kept a lean on Masamune to stop his wavering. What exactly was making him feel this wretched? He didn't even realize he was pressing a bit around in his subconscious search for the connection he'd had since he was a child.

Her eyes narrowed and she was about to order one of the mages to bind him when one of the unpartnered Companions shoved past the inner ring, then literally leaped _over_ Kero and Sayvil to land neatly next to Sephiroth.

The mare tucked herself neatly between the Herald-Captain and the SOLDIER, eyeing Kero for a moment before turning her head to meet Sephiroth's eyes, reaching back for him to help ground him. _:I Choose you.:_

He blinked at her a few times before prodding back at that voice, figuring out how to push back along it in reply. _:What does that mean?:_ He tilted his head a little though, the sickly pain sensation easing away in a sense of warmth that was highly unfamiliar. Considering that with a high amount of curiosity, he raised a hand to cautiously rest on the other's face, surprised the fur was so soft, yet not. _:And what are you?:_

She sighed with relief as the bond closed around them, setting up basic shields around him to help steady him. She wasn't as good at this as others, but she could help. _:It means I'm your Companion. And that is_ what _I am as well. A Companion.:_ The love that marked the Herald's bond swept around the both of them, and she nuzzled him gently.

Kero - and the other Heralds, for that matter - continued to stare in shock. An older fellow finally cursed in irritation and turned his Companion to head back to the Palace.

He petted. What else was one supposed to do? He'd had birds so it was reflexive to try to figure out how to scritch. Now he felt just as disoriented by the new _good_ sensation as he had by the older pain. _:This isn't where I was on mission, where is here?:_ He shifted slightly to start the process of freeing Masamune from where he'd entombed the weapon. She never liked when he did that and he could feel the faint hum of almost displeasure from her. 

The words gave her a sense of things, and she nodded absently. _:The Kingdom of Valdemar, in the Capital City of Haven, in the Companion's Field. You are...You're a very long way from home, Sephiroth.:_

"Look, hold up. You. Companion. Just what do you think you're doing?" She didn't recognize the mare off the bat, but that wasn't too much of a surprise just now.

The mare turned her head again, interposing herself between them again as Sayvil stepped forward.

He leaned against the warm side to look at the newcomer, arching an eyebrow as he finally fully freed Masamune. Once she was clear of the ground, he vanished her to where she preferred to rest. He'd found that keeping her out and about after he learned that trick led to a blade that didn't want to cooperate with any spellcasting. _:I do not know the words they use.:_

The sword got incredulous looks as he pulled it from the ground, and...kept pulling it. It looked utterly impractical for the most part. When it vanished, however, that drew shocked whispers.

 _:I know. I told you, you're from far away. I don't know if they'll be able to understand you either,:_ she said, turning to nose him again. _:I can translate, and teach you Valdamaran, though. Mindspeech is not in any one language.:_

 _:Boy.:_ Kero rolled her eyes as Sayvil decided to take the direct route. At least it was more expedient than asking Sayvil to ask the Companion to ask the stranger to answer a question and then passing it back down the chain.

He rankled at the new voice in his little conversation. It shouldn't be there. _:Sephiroth, as I mentioned aloud, unless you happen to have a tendency towards being hard of hearing.:_ He glanced around the people again. "This is the language I know, if any of you know anything even remotely like it, speak up." He switched to Wutain. "Thus back again with this language, I've never been fond of strangers in my head."

Sayvil snorted. _:I have more than a right to call you "boy" if I feel like it,:_ she said calmly.

Kero narrowed her eyes at the two languages. One sounded...almost like Karsite, though he looked _nothing_ like the harsh people of that land. "A small of this, know I," she said in that language. Really, she knew enough to generally curse at Karsites before she stabbed them, though the stabbing part had gone away with that new treaty. They generally relied on Alberich for translations, and he was away at the moment. Then she added in Shin'a'in, "And while I doubt you understand this, it's the closest _I_ know."

 _:That was Karsite,:_ the Companion informed him. _:And the second was Shin'a'in. She's cousin to the Clans.:_

He ignored the older voice of the two and looked at the woman critically, replying to the first. "The second makes no sense at all in your reply."

And where was someone who knew Kaled'a'in well? She shook her head in frustration, eyeing the mare who was still standing determinedly at his side. "You white targets," she told her, "are a pain." It was absent and frustrated. Then she looked back at him. Her Kaled'a'in was worse than her Karsite. "I am Herald-Captain Kerowyn."

A sense of curiosity came from the Companion, as she wondered just what he'd heard.

He passed along the rather... lewd meaning he'd gathered off her comments earlier, getting used to that contact quickly. He nodded slightly and went for his full name and title. "General Sephiroth, highest First of SOLDIER." He pondered, then looked to his Companion. _:You have given me no name.:_

So. High-ranking someone. Kerowyn rubbed at the bridge of her nose to try and take care of the headache she could feel building. She _really_ wanted someone with a better grasp of the language. "You are here why?"

She couldn't help the whickering laugh. Kero would be annoyed if she knew now, but it would probably amuse her later. After a thoughtful pause, she said, _:Vianna.:_

He snorted softly. "Because a mutated creature I was fighting caught me off guard. It was painful arriving." Considering something, he started to tap at his various abilities to make sure they were all working. Then noticed that the grief of his two friends abandoning him years prior was finally.... less all consuming.

Right, she hadn't understood more than half of that. Her frustration was probably rather obvious in her expression, and she shook her head before turning to the assembled Heralds. One was already moving though, speeding off to (presumably) retrieve a better translator.

 _:They wounded you badly,:_ it was a whisper. _:I wish I could have been there to help you. But you were too far away, and even then, I was too young.:_ As he tapped each one, she followed his mind delicately to trace them, making sure to back off at the sign of being at all unwelcome.

He noticed, but felt an odd lack of urge to brush off the touch. His magic was fine, though he'd have to thoroughly run through that later. His levitation, fine. Flickering, fine. Masamune obviously fine. Obviously his reading skills were undamaged.... Good. those were the most important of them, and his healing would show itself on injury. _:I am used to things not going as I wish them to, there's no cause to be upset by that matter. I'm simply pleased you rid me of that horrible sensation I acquired on arrival.:_

_:Mage Gift, Fetching, Firestarting, I'm not sure about your Masamune, and...that feels very much like Empathy, but I don't think that it is. Interesting, you've got quite a mix!:_

He blinked slowly and got a slightly puzzled look as he eyed her. _:What_ are _you on about?:_

She looked back at him with an amused blue eye. _:Those are the names we use for your various Gifts.:_ She touched them in the order he had. _:Mage Gift, Fetching, Firestarting. As I said, I'm not sure about your sword, though I think that's more like what Need was supposed to be. Then there's something like Empathy, that_ isn't _Empathy. And, rather obviously, Mindspeech, considering you can hear me.:_

He scowled a little at that. _:Of course I can hear you. I've had_ that _issue off and on since I was a small child. It was a pain.:_ He shook his head and looked around at those people still here. "I require such a crowd?"

"You appear in the heart of our city? Yes." Kero's attitude was rather frank.

 _:The other Heralds are keeping the Guard away even now. Even with my presence, they will doubt you.:_ Vianna shook her head a bit. _:But you should no longer have difficulties with your Mindspeech. I've shielded you, and we'll be able to teach you how to ground, center, and shield yourself as well.:_

"I shouldn't be shocked. At least you aren't attempting to do me bodilly harm, that gets old quickly." He shook his head once, sharply. _:I know how to ground, though you're suddenly the considerable focus of a sensation I hadn't been aware of previous today.:_

 _:They may have tried eventually if I didn't show up,:_ she admitted. _:But it would be more likely that one of the mages would have bound you instead.:_ As to the subject of grounding... _:Not consciously. And not here. You're likely going to have to re-learn a bit of it. You were tied to where you were before in a way much like our bond. But I can consciously direct this, so it helps.:_

He hummed and ran a hand over her neck almost absently. He never did have much contact with anything outside his bird. He looked around the many people in white. "Uniforms?"

Kero snorted at the word, her voice derisive. "Targets."

 _:She says Heraldic Whites make people targets. They do, but it's also a function of our station. She and Alberich have made it almost a tradition for the Weaponsmasters to wear dark grey instead, though. And if you see anyone in pale grey, they're Heraldic Trainees.:_ She passed him the rest of the basic information on what colors meant what - Bardic Scarlets and the rust-red of their trainees, Healer Greens and the pale greens, and then the Unaffiliated students who wore pale blues.

He made an amused noise and showed her the uniforms for his ranks quickly, touching on Genesis' preferences as well. "Ah." He flicked his hand to indicate himself. "Preference."

"Good luck."

 _:I think we'll be able to make an exception for you,:_ Vianna said wryly.

He made an amused noise and shook his head, though twisted around when he caught a spike of the recent energy behind him. Zack flailed a bit as the creature hit him with a final attack like the one he'd seen Seph get hit with earlier, and put up his buster to catch himself, yelping. Blinking, he realized he'd caught himself _on_ Seph, and that said Seph was okay! "SEPH! I thought that thing managed to kill you!" Balance grab went to hug fairly quickly, and he ignored Seph's look of 'I will kill you if you don't let go'.

Kerowyn twitched. Another newcomer. And a quick mindtouch told her that someone had _finally_ found a translator and was on their way back at all speed.

Zack's appearance had the Companion leaning to rest her chin on Sephiroth's shoulder, eyeing him curiously. _:So, this is Zack.:_

Sephiroth grimaced and pried the man off him with deft skill. "Tell me you at least managed to kill that thing before it used that attack on you." He put him at arms length away, keeping a grip on him to keep him there. _:Indeed. and here I'd believed I'd escaped him. He's too_ hyper:

Zack gave him a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, yeah. It just final attacked me, and er. Wait." He looked around, then pointed. "Odin Steeds! How the hell'd you manage that Seph? Are they cool? What do they do? Why are all these people staring at me?" He looked around and waved with the hand he'd pointed with. "Hiya, Zack Fair, First Class."

"Great Agnira, what have I gotten myself into?" Kero muttered, lifting one hand to rub at the bridge of her temple. Finally she swung off of Sayvil, turning to look at the rest of the assembled Heralds. "You all. Go away and assure everyone else that we're not going to die. Someone make Eldan get here faster. And you," she added, looking at the Companions. "You can leave too. You'll get your gossip eventually anyway."

Vianna whickered laughter at both of them. _:It seems like an attitude you could benefit from a touch of every once in a great while.:_ A thoughtful pause. _:In small doses.:_

He turned his scowl onto his Companion at that. _:I don't care to hear that.:_ Then he looked back to Zack "They're staring at you because you're you Zack, obviously." He released him with a backward nudge once he was sure he'd calmed down some. "And apparently they're called 'Companions' and they're highly sentient. Unlike you, I had a small issue on arrival. Also, this isn't Gaia, I've established we're in a place called Valdemar." He paused, then gestured slightly in a stay motion. "And no, most people have no idea what is said in either standard or Wutian."

Zack stuck out his tongue at him, then looked around with bright violet eyes. "Well, I actually understood her a little I think." He turned a brilliant smile on the woman who seemed to be in charge and fell back to his Gongaga dialect. Just cause Shinra swept in didn't mean it killed the local tongues. "It's not the same, but I kinda get you. Thanks for taking care of grumpy."

Well, at least that was more understandable. A little off, but close. "I'm assuming he's 'grumpy?'" she asked wryly. "Herald-Captain Kerowyn. This is my Companion, Sayvil." Said Companion nodded in greeting.

 _:We're not Odin's Steeds, Zack,:_ Vianna said, ignoring the usual rules on bespeaking. There wasn't a point to them in this situation. _:We were first brought about by a very different deity. But hello, I'm Vianna.:_

Seph sighed as Zack fell into the nonsense that only a handful of people ever seemed to understand. He was in a land of Zack? Gods save him now.

"Hell yeah he is." He looked at the Companion. "Ohhhh? Which one? I might've heard of it? Doubtful but maybe?" He bounced on his heels slightly, then waved a little at the other one. "Hello miss Sayvil, do you talk too? Oh! And Seph's one, you didn't tell me your name with that and Seph is fail at introductions."

_:No, I simply stare wisely until people figure out mystical instructions on their own.:_

He noticed, but decided not to press, though he found it funny Seph was thumping his forehead against Vianna. "Ohhh, so you're like Seph then. He does that a hell of a lot these days, then again..." He looked sideways at Seph and grinned as the man just eyed him suspiciously. "He was clearer before, but at that point I just wanted to beat him up for saying the things he did, so it's likely better that way."

"Actually, it's a perogative of Companions everywhere. Stupid mystical horses."

_:Not horses.:_

"Stupid mystical not-horses then!" The argument wasn't really an argument, but she was tense and it helped calm her down.

Vianna eyed her Chosen with amusement as he continued thumping against her shoulder and Zack snickered and reached over to put his hand on Seph's shoulder, going back to a language he knew. "Ah c'mon, I was just letting them know you've gotten a stick up your butt in the last couple years." He grinned wider as the man gave him a dark glower of a look, but he stopped the thumping. Win. He dropped back to his dialect and grinned. "Horses? What're horses?"

Vianna met his eyes. _:Horses.:_ The word flashed up associated images and information.

He paused, turning that over. "So they're like really dense and not as smart types of you guys then. Physically anyway."

She nodded. _:Something like that, yes.:_

Kero was content to lean back against Sayvil as Zack chatted with the others. Which was, of course, the perfect timing for Eldan to show up, there to play diplomat and translator. He'd taken the time to change into a fresh set of Whites and pull his hair back neatly, the gray streaks on either side barely wide than they had been when the two of them had met.

He turned to see the new guy and waved a hand. "Yo, Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, pleased to meetcha. You just showered to come meet us didncha?"

Eldan smiled back and slid down. "It didn't seem as if you were going to be aggressive, and so taking the time to at least clean up seemed prudent." He spoke in clear Kaled'a'in, despite the oddly-accented Valdamaran the darker-haired man used. Bowing slightly from the waist, he added, "I'm Herald Eldan. The pleasure is mine."

Sephiroth couldn't help some relief as they finally switched to something he understood without too much difficulty. It was an added bonus that Zack had to pause and focus harder since he obviously didn't know the tongue as well as the other two. "Is that what he asked then. I know Zack can at times be... forthwrit in ways that aren't terribly prudent." He shook his head slightly. "General Sephiroth, SOLDIER First Class."

Zack looked from one to the other and huffed. "You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here Seph, that's just mean, and no matter how mean you pretend to be, I know better."

Eldan chuckled. "After dealing with many of the others here at the Court, not to mention in the Circle, I'm well used to those who see no need to censor their words." Like gryphons, for example. "Welcome to Valdemar, General. I'm sorry that your entrance couldn't have been easier."

 _:He means it,:_ Vianna added for Sephiroth.

Sephiroth looked a bit dubious, but inclined his head fractionally just the same. "It wasn't so difficult, just unexpected. It's not as though anyone was attacking."

Zack snorted and looked over at Seph, then flashed Eldan a wry grin. "Yeah, trust him on that, in Wutai back when I first met him standard greeting was fireball or bolt to the face."

"I should hope not. Considering the location, as well as the fact that you've been Chosen by one of the Companions, a proper Herald would never offer violence." Of course, there were some Heralds who weren't "proper," but Heralds were as human as anyone else. That was why they'd initially been sent to keep the Guard from rushing in and attacking, and then dismissed with the others.

Kero added in her stilted Kaled'a'in, "If you speak of a combat situation, I see not why that would be a bad thing."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow at that. "I have no particular desire to injure those weaker than myself, though the time Zack speaks of was the very end of a nearly nine year war of which the Wutai people were on the receiving end of." He gave Zack a look. "This is actually the language of said people. I had quite a few names from them, many using the word Demon in some form or another."

"You and Angeal both." He wrinkled up his nose and shook his head, then grinned a little. "I like spars though, that won't get him in trouble will it? Me and him sparring? Not right here obviously but he'd get all rusty and I'm the only one that's been able to give him a run for his money since I met him since asshat went rogue on everyone."

Eldan laughed. "There are rumors among the students here that Kerowyn eats babies on toast for breakfast."

"I don't," she added. "Not until lunch, at least."

"As for sparring, we have both an indoor and outdoor salle. You'll need to talk to our Weaponsmasters, Kerowyn and Herald Alberich, before you use them, but I imagine neither of them will have a problem."

The two men exchanged a glance, and Sephiroth inclined his head. Zack looked back to the other guy with a sheepish smile. "It would have to be the outside one. With how much air Seph can get, and how much I can sometimes... Better not to risk damaging the building if you don't have anything like a holo training room."

The word 'holo' was one that neither of them knew, but Eldan simply nodded. "Of course."

 _:You're going to surprise them quite a lot when you actually spar,:_ Vianna commented.

Sephiroth tilted his head and looked sideways at her. "Hmm." Then he looked back to the man. "At the moment, I suppose we should determine what else must be done at the present time because of us?"

"Considering the hour, I would like to suggest that we find quarters for you to stay in for the time being, and then we can continue this in the light of day when we've all had more time to rest and prepare ourselves," he offered.

Zack and Seph exchanged another look, then Zack grinned, falling back to his dialect. "Okay! But me and him were in the middle of the afternoon not half hour ago."

"It's three in the morning here," Kerowyn said wryly. "You two might be ready to go, but even Heralds need some time to prepare."

Zack made an amused noise, then stepped back to bump shoulders with Seph, who glared at him for it, as he defaulted back to the Common tongue. Which these two knew as Karsite. "Okay Seph darlin, bedtime. And stop giving me that look, it's your own fault you finally got me to stop being mad at you, suck up being my focus."

Kero twitched slightly, then sighed. "At least you'll be able to understand Alberich."

"So," Eldan added. "Would you care to accompany me? I'm sure that we can get you acomodated shortly."

 _:Ask for the ground-level suite in the ambassador's wing,:_ Vianna said.

There was a blink, then Sephiroth tilted his head slightly. "Of course, I understand there's a ground level suite in the ambassador's wing?" He none too gently pushed Zack out a couple steps, causing the man to grin.

 _:It has a door into the gardens, so I'll be able to come and go when I want,:_ she added.

"Hm?" Eldan raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Yes, I think that should do nicely. It has recently come open." He turned and led the way, his Companion at his side.

Zack started after him, looking at the new Companion. "So, what's your name? I have everyone else's."

Sephiroth just shook his head and started that way, surprised that he was still having a tiny bit of unsteadiness.

"Ah! My apologies. This is my Companion, Ratha." Eldan's expression was chagrined, and Ratha nodded in greeting.

 _:Most Companions hold to what is called the Silence. Generally we don't speak to anyone except our Heralds, and each other. Companions whose Chosen are twins are a bit of an exception, though.:_

Zack blinked slowly. "So most of you guys act like priests under a vow? Oh man that _sucks_. That'll cut out a chunk of interesting convos I bet." He shook his head. "Ah well, doesn't mean I can't tryyyy." He smiled and looked back to Eldan. "Thanks!"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Various people have been trying for several hundred years. Perhaps you'll be the first to break their Silence when they don't wish it!"

"Personally, I could do with a slightly less chatty not-horse," Kero grumbled, ignoring Sayvil's smug attitude.

"I like talking, and hey, I've gotten something out of a few things people ain't supposed to be able. Like... Moogles. Everyone knows they're special, but nobody can get them to say anything but Kupo. Buuuut, I've managed to get essence summons off them like several others sooo... I'm sure making goo goo eyes at people would do something."

"Pardon me, but...what are moogles?" There wasn't any incredulidity in his voice, at least.

He considered, then held his hand out to Seph. "Materia, I know you got an unlevelled one in there somewhere, and my moogle likes to make them stronger for me."

Sephiroth made an annoyed face, but twisted his bracer to get one of the green orbs and handed it over. "It better not be one of the offensive summons."

Both of the Heralds watched closely, for differing reasons.

Zack just grinned and wiggled his fingers, which got a few more, and then he winked. "You'll get them back. Ohh, and this one is almost mastered, so you'll have babies too." Then, he clasped his hands in front of himself, turned to open air and drew up magic as the little white red and black moogle appeared. Going through his normal motion, he smiled. Which got all the materia taken, as per expectation. After it was tossed back, he turned to the others with a grin, passing Seph's back as the little figure vanished. "Moogle."

"Hm. Interesting. Not any sort of creature I've ever heard of, but I tended to focus on magic applicable for specific combat situations, either from Grandmother or Quenten." Though some of those uses hadn't exactly been common. And having Need around had helped a lot after she'd made Captain.

"If any of us had been hurt, he would have cast cure over us." He gave an impish little smile. "He's one of my healing ones."

She raised an eyebrow. "Odd sort of Healer."

"My healing ones are Moogle, Phoenix, and what I learned from Aeris." He looked sideways at Seph. "Don't you say anything, the one I have off you is _damn_ violent."

"Huh. The mages are going to want to pick you over something fierce, I imagine." They'd passed through the gate into the Field just after his little show, and were almost at the Palace now, the huge stone building looming over them. "I'll leave you guys here for now, and run off to talk to Talia and the others. I'm sure they're dying for information."

"I'll see you there," Eldan agreed, nodding to her as she headded off. "I'll take you straight through the Palace, though it's possible to walk to your suite. It's just quite a bit longer route."

There were two nods before Zack grinned. "I'm the only SOLDIER with my talent. I essentially, once I have really strong feelings about someone or a _lot_ of exposure to it, like the summons and creature shades, I can just... put together a limit that's part of them, just, y'know, me. It baffled, and worried, eh heh, Angeal no end."

"Hm. I imagine Kerowyn's right. You'll likely have the various mages here frantically trying to figure out how you do what you do." Eldan said as he held the door open for them. Vianna followed them inside, but Ratha gave them all a nod before cantering back toward Companion's Field.

Sephiroth looked around the room as they slipped into it, interest obvious, and he rested a hand on Vianna. Zack just laughed. "They won't get anywhere, gods knew the doctors were baffled enough by it, and they're pretty damn aggressive when they go looking for answers."

 _:Those are doctors. These are_ mages _\- both Valdemar's mindmages and practitioners of schools of wildly different disciplines, including the Tayledras.:_

Eldan's expression was more restrained, but still amused. "I imagine that the Tayledras, at least, will come as a bit of a surprise."

 _:They're_ very _different from what you know.:_ A pause. _:I rather think Zack will like Firesong. You'll like Darkwind, though. The gryphons, too.:_

Zack made an amused noise. "We don't really have anything you could call a mage back home." He shook his head, shrugging.

 _:Firesong and Darkwind? Interesting names.:_ He looked to the man with his eyebrows quirked though. "Not much surprises me."

She showed the both of them a mental image of Firesong in one of his more flamboyant outfits (not that they weren't all flamboyant).

Zack blinked, then grinned. "Ohhhh, cute. Look Seph, people with your hair color."

Seph just scowled at Zack, and sighed. "Does his attitude match?"

Eldan's sigh had an edge of tiredness. "Firesong? Yes. He's... young, dramatic, extremely intelligent, and the most magically powerful person to come along in the past several hundred years."

 _:He would add that he's modest, too.:_

Seph looked the tiniest bit alarmed,. "And you want me to introduce him to Zack?!"

Zack looked offended at that. "I'm not that bad."

Eldan chuckled then. "He has discipline, at least when it comes to magic. And he's rather devoted to young An'desha right now, so though he's shaych, he'll keep his flirting to a minimum. Plus, Darkwind and Lady Elspeth can keep a handle on him when they need to."

Vianna showed them images of the people mentioned - Darkwind, silver-white hair dyed forest patterns, in more sober gear (though it was still exotic by Valdamaran standards), and Elspeth, her brown hair slowly silvering, in the Tayledras-styled Whites.

"You are so that bad, Zack Fair. You made first within months of making grade in the program. You only stopped advancing because of what Angeal did." He shook his head and turned slightly, ignoring the swiftly buried hurt look that caused. "Besides, putting what sounds like two of you in the same place is just a recipe for disaster."

"If I didn't know it was just your disorientation I would accuse you of disliking me."

He remained quiet and allowed them their banter, though he was amused by the rather quick back-and-forth between the two of them.

He finally turned back to the man. "We'll try to rest until morning."

"My thanks. I'll send- a Herald Trainee, likely, to wake you." Eldan bid them both a good night, and took himself out.


	2. Chapter 2

Sephiroth rolled over, then cracked his eyes open with a disgruntled growl and rudely shoved the man that had, at some point, invaded his bed and personal bubble out onto the floor. "You were _not_ here when I went to sleep."

Looking around in bewilderment after hitting the floor, the man finally gave him wounded eyes. "I didn't do anything!"

Muttering darkly, the pale-haired man crawled out of bed to find some clothes. Just because Zack had at least boxers on didn't mean _he_ did.

Zack stuck his tongue out at him finally and scrambled to get dressed himself, poking around a bit. "I can't sleep anymore Seph, just so you know."

"I imagine not, however, I think they would protest if we woke anyone." He nodded to his Companion. "Even she sleeps."

"Then we have got to be sneaky. Think we could find the yard they mentioned?"

"Without too much trouble." He got his boots tugged on. "Obviously, we start outside."

_:South,:_ Vianna said, projecting sleepy affability as she raised her head to look at them. It had been a bit odd, sleeping inside the suite instead of out in the Field or in the Companion's stable. _:Head south, along the edge of the Palace. You'll cross a small field, and the outdoor arena should be there. Kero won't really mind you being there._ :

He paused, then reached to run his palm over the top of his Companion's head with bare fingers before gesturing Zack out. Nodding in turn, the man slipped out, waiting for Seph to direct him once they were out there, which didn't take long at all.

The yard in question made them exchange a glance over the smaller size, but after a moment, Zack just shrugged. "Well, I guess we just get to practice up instead of out. Pulled hits?"

He nodded back to the smaller man, then settled into a few light stretches. "Enough to make us alert for whatever is going to happen later."

"They aren't very hostile." It was an almost considering phrase, and the man straightened, calling Masamune to him. "The air is cleaner."

"Anything is cleaner than Midgar." He laughed, and then shook his head, circling the taller man once, then setting into the attack. He was deflected, of course, but neither was really trying yet.

Golden eyes watched the pair consideringly from the other side of the compound. Treyvan stayed quiet for now, though.

Smirking slightly at Zack's approach, he deflected the slow, for them, blows, then started to return them, picking up their pace without really moving from his spot at all. Zack circled enough for them both. Once he moved, there would be air in this fight. Zack laughed, then braced and moved into a harder lunge. His opponent finally moved, liquid as he leaped, twisting to land off to his side as the fight finally started something of a chase, one almost solid ringing of blade on blade starting through the still morning air. "Magic?"

"Not yet."

Zack found himself flipping through the air and wasn't shocked when Seph came to meet him instead of waiting, causing a more wicked set of attacks. "Now?"

"No."

"Pleeeaase?" 

He waved a hand as they came back towards earth, bringing up a shimmering barricade. "Fine. Do your worst."

Treyvan shifted as the magic shimmered into life, Mage-Sight layered over his eyesight with the relaxation of a thought.

Zack grinned, and as soon as they landed there was a quake, small as to keep it in the yard, to get Seph back up in the air, before he started into bolts, bouncing around him to see if he couldn't break the barrier. "Don't make me use the limit on you!"

"I said do your worst Fair."

With that, he laughed, taking two steps back before closing his eyes as he started to float. "Hold onto your shield then. Apocolypse."

He blinked, then cursed, throwing out his hands to gather energy in a black ball swiftly as he reinforced his shield. 

Treyvan sat up, feathers ruffling upward, eyes narrowing as he reinforced his own shields, careful not to "blind" himself as he studied the spell.

As the last bolts of the Limit fell back, Zack's eyes widened and he yelped, diving for the ground as black energy moved over his head, dispersing. "Zack, you realize you just flicked a Genesis based attack at me."

"Hellmonkeys." Snatching his blade off his back, he darted for Seph, moving to reinitiate swordplay before Seph decided to take his damn head off.

"Mmhmm. Be glad the shield held." Smirking, he waved a wash of fire towards the man, then dodged aside, the action being followed from Zack in a determined rain of ice.

When the backwash of fire passed the darker of the two combatants and caught the grass at the edge of the arena, Treyvan finally stood up, reaching out with a thought to press a smothering shield down upon the flames before they spread.

That got Seph twisting slightly in place as he blocked a sword attack, then turning his attention back to the other man. "I do believe we have an audience."

"Thought I felt eyes."

He knew he'd gotten their attention, and walked slowly toward them, staying on the ground for now. Who knew if they'd ever seen gryphons before, after all?

They finally drew to a close, Zack falling back a step to check over the buster before putting her on his back. "Guess we're done."

"For now."

"My apologiesss," he said slowly. "I did not mean to botherrr you."

Zack looked the birdlike critter over for a moment, then grinned. "Everything here talks! That is so freaking cool!!" Then he moved forward, clasping his hands. "We didn't wake you did we?"

Sephiroth just shook his head. "Humans aren't the only things that talk back home Zack."

"Huh? Since when?"

"No, I am often awake well beforrre dawn. It isss the price I pay forr being allowed to go to sssleep early," he said, amused. "Do not worrry, though. We are often ssstrange to the people of Valdemarr and herrr alliess asss well."

"Just something I learned a year ago Zack." He waved a hand. "I'm not sure strange is the word, just most creatures who look like you do not speak."

"Uh huh." He looked to.... the bird thingy. "I'm Zack Fair, silver head is Sephiroth, and it's good we didn't wake ya. We were trying to be quiet about it."

"Ah, then you do not know many grryphonss. Mossst who know usss would claim that we do not sshut up," he chucked. Nodding, he sat, golden eyes bright. "I am Treyvan. Sshould you ssse another who lookss like me, but larrrgerrr, ssshe isss my mate, Hydona."

"Sounds like how it goes." Zack gave him a sheepish grin. "Chocobo hens are always bigger than the boys." He hooked his thumb at Seph. "Why he had a girl, the guys just weren't right for him."

He sighed. "Something exactly like you I don't believe I've seen, but close on occasion. Are you even aware of what a Chocobo is, since Zack's spanned the topic?"

_:And now that you have me you'll never want one under you again,:_ Vianna commented from where she'd moved out into the garden.

"I have not hearrrd of them, no. I assume they're aviansss of sssome sssort, then?"

"Uh huh! They were birds with a body to here." He held a hand at his shoulder. "Or bigger, long legs, long necks, runners since they couldn't fly, crests on their heads, super fluffy, wicked sharp beaks when they were mad and massive talons. Love them some greens though. Oh! And really smart too. Legend says the gold ones can run on the ocean. I dunno about that, but my white could run over rivers and heal."

Sephiroth just shook his head and reached back to his Companion. _:I've never ridden you.:_

"Urrr." Treyvan's head tilted. "Grryphonsss are ass any other perssson in what we do. Sssome are artissansss, though it isss difficult for most worrrk to be done by ourr handss," he added, splaying one long-taloned hand for inspection. "Othersss work, and ssstill morre arre magess. Beyond that, we tend to join the Silver Gryphons. Hydona and I are ssscouts and ambassadorrrs, and both of usss arre Master-class mages."

_:We should take care of that, then!:_ Vianna turned and cantered toward where the three of them stood at what was, for a Companion, an easy pace.

"Mages? Like how? I mean, I know I know a _lot_ of on demand Limits compared to most folks, but I still need materia like anyone else, Seph excluded." Zack tilted his head, plainly curious.

He turned towards the Companion as she came out and tilted his head. _:How shall we go about this then?:_

He spread the hand he'd lifted and conjured a ball of mage-light. "Sssuch thingsss are sssimple. Otherrrss rrrange from sspellsss of communication and rrrepairr, to healing and cleansssing, to combat."

He blinked at the light a couple times. "I have no _idea_ how to do that."

"Your magic iss very differrrent frrrom ourrsss, which will make the learrrning and teaching interressting, I think," he said calmly. "You arrre both powerrful, if ssstill not rrefined." He paused, and then looked to Vianna and Sephiroth. "A moment of yourrr time, if I may?"

Vianna, who had been about to tell Sephiroth to mount, looked over and gave a mental shrug.

He arched an eyebrow, then nodded slightly. "Yes?" He waved Zack down. which wasn't hard as the man looked contemplative anyway.

"Ssstrike at me with the sspell you usssed earrlierr."

He blinked. "That could be rather painful."

"It iss to prove a point. Do not worrry." His beak gaped open in a grin.

He eyed him, then rolled a shoulder and cast out with his modified version of demi.

His shields caught the brunt of the attack, and he reared up onto his hind legs as he reached down and pulled magic from the earth, twisting it around the attack and bending it away from him, warping the direction of the spell and then dissipating it into the ground beneath.

He quirked an eyebrow. "How interesting." He tilted his head. "That's almost like what you'd get out of an Escort Guard to certain spells."

He seated himself again, flipping his wings to his back. "I am not sssurre what that isss, but that wass a fairly ssimple method to shield attackss. Otherrrss arre, of course, thingsss such as stopping, deflecting, orrr rreflecting them, ass well asss otherss."

Zack grinned. "Sound like modified shielding spells. Here, lookit this one." He fished out the green materia that did that and offered it to him as Seph turned back to his Companion. 

He accepted it carefully, looking it over thoughtfully.

_:Now that they're done with that,:_ she said, _:you mount up like_ this _, and then it'll feel something like_ this _when you're settled right.:_ She showed him the "proper" sensations when she said it, allowing him a second to get the sense of it before dropping it. He hummed, noting the different balance, then got up as advised. It was odd. 

She wasn't wearing a saddle or hackamore, so it wasn't as solid as it otherwise might have been, but she moved out gracefully once he was settled. A walk, then a trot, and finally she began an easy lope out toward the Companion's Field. Each pace was deceptively smooth and easy to sit - and far faster than a horse could ever go as that pace. He had to remind himself not to move like he would on a bird, but he'd always had deceptively good balance, and this was no hindrance to learning.

Once she was sure he had his balance steady, she threw him the image of a smirk, and said, _:Hang on.:_ Then she switched into a gallop, speeding up as her body lowered a ways, until the wind was lashing through their hair as she hit the fastest pace that Companions could achieve, faster than almost anything else. That... was an easier pace for him than the slower ones, and he shifted slightly to lean down into it, holding on with his knees some to make sure he didn't tip himself off balance.

_:Feel free to hold tighter,:_ she said wryly, and didn't slow as they approached the fence surrounding the Field. She gathered her muscles under her, letting him know with a delicate touch, and then leaped, the fence flashing by under them in a thought. He leaned down lower on her back, bracing his hands as well as he settled into the run fully, relaxed.

She kept up the pace, and then warned him with another touch before she came to an abrupt halt, spinning sideways on her forelegs and giving a tiny kick backward. She wasn't entirely sure how comfortable he would be staying on, so she avoided the more dramatic combat moves. He shifted his position with the move, but didn't feel unstable and let her know it. She didn't have anything actively batting at him after all, that helped.

Vianna threw him a touch of challenge, then reared up to her full height, lashing the air in front of her with her forelegs as she crow-hopped forward, before coming down with a thud that would crush enemies beneath her. She spent barely half a second flat on the ground before spinning again, kicking out high and snapping at the air in front of her. Then she leaped up, all four hooves off the ground as she kicked in a capriole, landing and spinning and launching herself into a run again.

He reflexively lightened himself as he tightened his hold fractionally, finding this easier to do _without_ anything like a saddle than he likely would have with one. He did have to lean into compensation some though. It took a little attentiveness, as he wasn't used to the balance but... not so hard. It would be harder without practice on a battle bird. She made sure to balance him in return, feeling the two of them working together more and more as they moved. The Companion-bond made things easier, and she knew that it was already stronger than most bonds. It was necessary, if nothing else.

Finally Vianna slowed, barely breathing hard. _:Well? What do you think?:_

He leaned over her back, draping himself, and stroked her neck, a small, pleased smile on his face. _:I think we have a lovely accord.:_


	3. Chapter 3

Zack grinned. "Some people have to touch them with magic. My babies are used to me so I can tell them all with touch though."

"It ssseemss almosst like a ssspell that isss shape only, with no powerrr behind it," he said, studying it closely. "I am no rrreasserrrcher, though."

"That's pretty much it. They grow and change as they get more power." He reached out, three held in his hand. "These three are a mastered, it's baby, and one between. You can likely tell the differences.... but don't cast, I'm not resistant to electricity." He accepted them as well, simply looking instead of investigating. He knew better than that as it was.

Zack gave him a wry smile. "I'm best with electricity. Though I'm decent with healing spells and the like too."

"Healing, hurr? It iss likely that you have a touch of that gift, ass well ass empathy."

He gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, I've had people under my charge reaaaal happy when I've limited before when Healing Wave swept my party. Never touches my enemies, of course, but it revitalizes, heals, and boosts magic... then there's that whole 'haha you hit me and it didn't hurt me at all' factor that lingers for a couple minutes too."

Treyvan gave Zack a surprised look. "That isss...verrry usseful, I imagine." Then he looked up toward the Palace, zeroing in on a Whites-clad figure on another Companion that was approaching. The Companion was a bit odd though. He looked... _more_ than all of the others.

"Oh yeah." He flashed him a smile. "Especially since I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaay stronger than most people I ever end up in charge of. Only Seph is stronger than me these days so... I teach half the time."

"And yet I imagine that you become stronger in other ways for teaching," Talia said cheerfully as Rolan approached. Swinging down from his back, she gave the both of them a sunny smile. "Good morning Treyvan." Turning to Zack, she gave him a nod of her head. "I'm Talia."

Zack immediately offered his hand. "Hiya! Zack Fair, and yeah. Still prefer to be out in the field, but it's not like there were many Firsts to go around and Seph." he tilted his head off towards the pair taking rounds. "Well, he's never been patient enough to teach anyone anything, trust me, I was on the dealing end of his teaching method a couple times, wanted to strangle him. Sides." He flashed a little grin. "My limits are way too awesome to never get to use."

Talia took his hand firmly, ignoring the height discrepancy with ease. "It's a pleasure to meet you, truly." Turning, she gestured to the stallion beside her. "And this is Rolan." He nodded welcomingly. "As for getting out in the field...I know what you mean." She sighed sympathetically. "It seems like I almost never leave the Palace any longer unless I'm accompanying Selenay."

He gave her a wry smile. "Exactly! I mean, hell, I haven't gotten out on a mission more than a day long in like, four months. This'll be nice. Gonna miss Spike... but a guy can't have everything." He shook his head and then waved at the Companion. "Hi Rolan! Are you one of the antisocial ones?"

She smiled ruefully. "The last time I left the Palace was when all of the Heralds went to the Border for the last battle with Hardorn." Then she paused. "Well, no. I had that afternoon out with Jemmie and the twins a few weeks ago," she said absently. Rolan blinked at Zack, and then nodded wisely.

"Zack, allow me to intrroduce the Queen'ss Own Herrald Talia," Treyvan added, amused.

"For some reason Jemmie and twins doesn't sound like a trio of really hot guys or gals. Babysitting?" Then he paused and shook his head "We didn't wake you with our spar did we? We tried to keep it down." He glanced over to Seph and rolled his eyes, then looked back. "He on the whirlwind over there is Sephiroth by the way, you likely heard that by now, and he doesn't seem to be," he raised his voice and looked over that way, "getting over here to say hi for himself!" He flashed her a grin. "And, um, that's a title innit? Never been good with those."

 _:As I said,:_ Vianna said, voice highly satisfied. _:I'm far better than one of your chocobos. And I can keep up my top speed for a day and a half straight if I have to.:_

_:I'm not finding it in me to protest. Though, it appears Zack is being demanding.:_

_:I imagine he does that a lot. He's right though, that's Rolan and Herald Talia. You should meet her.:_ With that, Vianna began an easy lope back toward the little group.

She laughed. "Jemmie's my son, and the twins - Kris and Lyra - are Selenay's. And Selenay's the Queen. I'm...hm. The position of Monarch's Own is something like a Second in Command, and something like best friend. The Herald who holds the position is Chosen by the Queen's Own Companion - recently, Rolan." She rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you have a hot guy or chick stashed somewhere though right? Which is something." He gave her an impish grin. "Ahhh, titular highness... not that I pay attention, what with me playing pretend with Wutai's Empress to be on half my actual missions." He hooked a thumb at Seph. "Don't tell him that though, he'd likely do that forehead smack think he does sometimes and I'm worried he'll hurt himself onna these days with it." He closed an eye. "I used to be a few rungs down, but I'm pretty much second in command to his General over SOLDIER."

He shook his head as he listened to Zack chatter, and yes, he hadn't realized the girl he played with was -that- girl. "You never told me you were playing clues with Nioan's daughter Zack."

"Dirk is...well. Unfortunately, he's not what most people would think of as physically attractive," she said, though it was amused. "He makes up for it in personality, though. You'll likely meet him at some point." She laughed at the comment, though. "Playing with young nobles can be the best thing for them, though. It reminds them that they're still people, and not just their titles."

"Well, when I met her I was still under _Angeal_ so that makes sense." He stuck his tongue out at Seph, then looked back to the woman. "But yeah, I met her when she was, gah. six, seven? She was in a place we were bringing down and tried to sneak up on me, badly, which is good otherwise she might have been hurt, and pretended to beat me up. It was cute, so when she got my text I decided to go along with it. disconcerting as hell when I'd get to rigged treasures before her though, she'd start screaming and crying, then flee. I think she did it on purpose to see if she could make me feel bad..." He rubbed the back of his head. "Cute kid though."

"Wait. _That_ child? She looks like a common ninja brat!"

He just grinned. "Professes herself to be the greatest." He reached over and tugged on Seph. "Meet the nice high ranking lady here Seph." He prodded until the man turned to look at the woman, a wry smile on his face. "Her name is Talia. Now say hello."

Lips twitching as he refrained from something further, he inclined his head. "Hello."

She raised an eyebrow and watched the two banter back and forth, amused. "A pleasure to meet you," she said, smiling warmly and returning the nod. "I'm here entirely unofficially, by the way. This is one of the few times I actually have a chance to relax, so Rolan and I tend to get out while we can." Her eyes darted between the two of them, amused.

Vianna inclined her head in respect to Rolan absently.

He snorted softly. "I understand entirely, in the last two years my time has been hedged around rather vigorously." 

Zack grimaced. "Which still wasn't your fault. And we'll pretend we don't know you then?"

"I'll believe that when time flows backwards and things unhappen Zack." His voice was a bit crisp and he waved away the topic, much to Zack's displeasure.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that! I mostly meant that I'm not here to be formal or anything. I get enough of it the rest of the day."

"Right." He looked back to her quickly, grin flashing back quickly. "Well, in that case, we're cool. I'm not very good with that whole formal thing anyway.'

Her eyes were assessing as they rested on Sephiroth for a long moment, and then she smiled again. "How have you and Vianna been getting along?"

He relaxed slightly at that, letting himself be distracted. "She's convinced me of her superiority to my war hen."

 _:Of_ course _I am.:_ There was distinct smug confidence in her attitude.

"I'm glad of that," Talia said warmly. "And, of course, Companions are more than just mounts." She placed one hand gently on Rolan's neck. "They're friends as well, and the sort that can be trusted with anything."

"I'll see about that in time." He glanced down to Vianna, rather certain she wouldn't be offended by his reticence. He had extremely good reasons for it.

Zack just shook his head. "I almost feel left out."

 _:Don't worry,:_ she said calmly, sending him a gentle surge of affection. _:We have time.:_

_:I'm glad you agree to that.:_

"Of course!" Talia's attitude was perfectly calm. Vianna's shields were fairly good, but she could certainly sense around them and get a feel of how desperately the Companion-bond was needed. Turning to Zack, her expression turned rueful. "You really shouldn't, you know." Then her eyes sparkled. "After all, Empaths like us make friends rather easily."

He snorted and waved a hand. "Don't empaths get all that emotional gunk off everyone? I don't really do that. I just pay attention." He flashed her a wide smile. "Can say it's easier when everyone talks though."

She kept her expression and body language exactly the same, polite cheerfulness, and then projected a wordless pulse of welcome, mischief, and reassurance.

He blinked, then _laughed_. "Ohhh, okay maybe not. My girlfriend can do that. She inspired my best Limit." He gave her an impish smile. "You're makin me wonder if any of the local'sll get under my skin that well."

She chuckled. "I can teach you shielding. You've got the rudiments, but it's a lot easier once you've got conscious control over it. And the sooner the better, really."

 _:Talia knows more than anyone about using Empathy purely as Empathy,:_ Vianna explained.

He reached over and scritched behind one of Vianna's ears with a grin before looking back to Talia. "Likely yeah. I have a lot I'm gonna end up learning round here to go with my own brand of use aren't I?"

"It's likely," she agreed. "Then again, I imagine we're going to be learning just as much from you two," she added, inclining her head to the both of them.

He grinned and laughed. "I bet. I'm curious about what kind of Limits you guys got here to be honest, or if you have em. It'll be weird if people don't have em."

"I do not believe that we have anything closse to what you have descrribed," Treyvan put in then. "The clossesst would be a mage'ss Final Sstrrike, and that iss...well, final."

"Sure, we have _that_." He pulled a blue materia to wiggle it. "But if I ever equipped this thing it'd be slapped on my phoenix cause at least she'd make sure I didn't _die_."

 _:You might want to be careful, Zack,:_ Vianna said, amusement in her mind-voice. _:The Healer representative was giving you covetous looks. I think she took off to recruit backup.:_ She hadn't gone with them into the Council room, but she'd watched through Sephiroth's eyes.

He blinked and leaned into Seph, cautiously responding in kind to the Companion since he didn't see her yet. He wasn't very good at this part. _:I got Seph for backup:_

 _:Not against a cadre of determined Healers. Who are_ not _like doctors or scientists,:_ she added quickly, just to have that out of the way. _:They're just...well. Focused in an entirely different way than Heralds.:_

 _:I know healers, was dating one... and crap I think I know what you mean.:_ He patted Seph, then gave him a sheepish grin. "You go find your gal... I think I'm gonna run now."

Unfortunately for Zack, it was a bit too late. A group of people in Greens - headed up by the Healer representative and an old man who regularly ran the Guard recruits around the practice arena - were approaching in a bee-line for Zack.

 _:Hopefully they'll let you go for dinner,:_ Vianna said cheerfully as they swept him up and carted him toward the House of Healing.

He yelped, seeing the arched eyebrow Seph was casting after him, and gave the group a sheepish smile. "Um, hi! What can I do for you guys?"

"We've heard some interesting things about how you use your Gift of Healing in conjunction with your other Gifts," the older man said calmly. "If you don't mind, we'd like to see if we can learn the how of some of it...and possibly help you develop it further."

He blinked a few times, then laughed a little. "Um, I just kinda do it. Don't really know how to set it off without someone at least pretending to throw a punch at me either. Well, outside the materia spells anyway..."

"That's one of the things that we may be able to help you with," he said cheerfully. "Many Healers start off on a purely instinctive level."

"Well, Limits tend to be a battle thing anyway so I can't say I'm shocked about it..." He looked around. "I have no idea who any of ya are by the way.'

The old man waved his hand genially. "Ah, my fault. I'm Devan, the Dean of the Healer's Collegium. With me are several of the teachers, including Breda, our representative on the Council." The woman smiled warmly.

"Hiya, Zack Fair, kidnapee."

"Well, if we'd left you there, then the mages would have gotten the both of you, and then where would we be?" Breda asked cheerfully.

"I don't think Seph has any healing limits guys." He shook his head. "They're pretty rare."

"We'll keep that in mind," Devan said as they reached the path to Healer's. "You're the one that's interesting, though."

"I gathered that from the whole abduction thing." He gave them all an amused look.

"Well, there's no time like the present to get started, hm?" Blue eyes sparkled back as Devan opened the door for him. "Unless you have somewhere else to be."

"Not that I can get to no. Still. Abducted."

* * *

Vianna rounded the corner in time to watch Zack get carried off by the flood of Healers from the Palace to the House of Healing, then stuck her head in the doorway before it closed. Hopefully they really would let him go free before he starved to death.

Sephiroth moved over to her and pushed the door a bit more open. "Do you suppose he'll be fine?"

 _:Oh, probably. They are Healers, after all - they won't hurt him.:_ She didn't come inside just yet, glancing at him then out toward the garden. _:Care to come for a walk with me? The servants tend to throw fits over hoofprints on the floors.:_

He inclined his head and slipped out. "I suppose, though most stories with healers tell how vicious with weapons they could be."

 _:They are that, when the need arises,:_ she conceded, moving aside to give him room. _:On a day-to-day basis, however, they usually don't go to such measures.:_

He rolled a shoulder. "I've never personally dealt with any."

 _:I imagine you'll meet several if you spend time here, even if you do heal quickly,:_ she said absently. _:They tend to worry.:_

"Like Zack."

 _:Very much like, but they tend to get a little less personally acquainted except in some cases. I imagine he'll actually get along rather well with them. It's the Empathy thing.:_ She guided their steps toward the edge of the field.

"Being able to tell how people fare is pesky at best."

 _:I don't know. It could be very useful as well,:_ she said airily.

"I suppose, but no less annoying."

 _:Would you rather know that one of your men was feeling ill despite outward appearances and send someone else in his place, or send him without knowing that and risk his abilities not being up to the required task?:_ She turned blue eyes on him as they walked.

He leaned in and took a deep breath. "If I was the one sending him out, I would know."

She paused, then nodded and kept walking. _:I'm sorry. I forgot.:_

"You'll learn to remember."

 _:I should certainly hope so!:_ she replied, but it was cheerful as they reached the gate into the Field (as opposed to just jumping the fence).

He reached to undo the gate and stepped through. "As would I."

 _:Well, since Zack is, ah, occupied right now, I figure that this is as good a time as any to make some introductions,:_ she said after a pause, stopping and turning so that he could swing himself on.

He got the hint and climbed up on her back, stroking her neck. "Fair enough,.

She cantered across the Field toward Firesong's _ekele_ in his miniature Vale, eeling among the various groves of trees until she arrived at the appropriate one. Pausing by the entrance, she whinnied, just loud enough for the occupants to hear.

 _:I don't think An'desha will arrive immediately, but you'll want to meet him as well.:_ Faint grumbling from inside and overhead indicated where Firesong was making his way down, and Aya arrived in a flashy show, dripping false sparks from his feathers as he settled on a nearby tree branch.

He blinked slightly, then quirked an eyebrow. "Well, that bird looks a bit like a phoenix. Who am I here to meet exactly?"

 _:He's a firebird, Aya. Firesong's bondbird. And we're here to introduce you to Firesong,:_ she said serenely.

"Hm? Oh-" Silver eyes blinked a few times, and Firesong - dressed in a comparatively simple outfit, paused at the top of the stairs leading into the tree-build _ekele_. "...oh! Please, come in. You are one of the travelers that I have heard of? I am Firesong k'Treva, it is a distinct pleasure."

He quirked an eyebrow up at the man, then slid down off Vianna's back, gauging how high up it is.

Firesong descended the stairs with the grace that marked him, every bit the showman, with his long silver hair trailing gracefully behind him. He hadn't gotten the chance to do much with it just yet, so it flowed free for the time being. "Might I ask your names in return?" He offered both Sephiroth and Vianna a charming smile.

He inclined his head. "Sephiroth, and she is Vianna."

"Please, be welcome to my little Vale here in Valdemar," he said, sweeping his arms out and bowing gracefully.

He inclined his head slightly. "Graciously." He wasn't one for bowing himself, but was watching him.

He smiled and beckoned them further in. "Refreshments should be no great difficulty right now, and I believe that you have been meeting with the Valdamaran Council - and that could cause any man to need refreshment!" He gestured absently and with a spark of magic, and after a few seconds, a tray floated from the living rooms at the top, burdened by a pair of glasses and some light snacks, ones enjoyed by humans and Companions alike.

He moved forward at the inclination, a look of interest in how the magic was being used apparent. "I haven't seen levitation used that way."

"Hm?" He glanced up at the tray. "Ah, it's a simple enough spell. Normally I wouldn't waste magic this way, but- well. Sadly, Valdemar is severely lacking in proper amenities, and that includes the _hertasi_."

"Hertasi?" He quirked an eyebrow, but was still regarding the tray with speculation. "Though I have to correct myself, I have seen it used that way, just not so obviously."

"Wonderful little creatures," he sighed airily. "So helpful and useful. I really wish they were here." The tray set itself on a table, and he retrieved the two glasses, offering one to Sephiroth. "And, of course, if you get thirsty, the cold spring is perfectly clean to drink from," he added for Vianna.

He took the glass, considering the man, eyes lingering on his hair in plain curiosity. "I've never heard of them, then again, unhuman servants just don't really exist where I'm from."

"You poor thing," he sighed dramatically. "No _hertasi_ , no Vales, no Heartstone, not even the amenities of proper hot springs. I should have stayed with k'Leysha, but _then_ where would the world be?"

He slowly arched an eyebrow. "If I wanted a bath, it wasn't exactly difficult to get one. Hot tubs outmeasure hot springs so far as I've seen."

"You would never say that after being to a proper Tayledras Vale," he dismissed absently.

"You're overly certain of that. I've been to springs in Wutai, I prefer the hot tubs where I can manipulate the temperature and scents to my liking."

"Easy enough," he said. "But enough of this," he finally added, waving a hand. "I don't imagine that that's why your dear Companion brought you to me."

He hummed lowly. "Yes, I imagine it was for something more along the lines of introduction than argument."

 _:Just possibly,:_ she said dryly, taking the opportunity to investigate the bowl of carrot sticks. _:Firesong might be able to help you figure out what brought you here. And he'll likely end up one of your magic teachers.:_

"Ah, indeed," he said, satisfied. "The other mages here are quite good, I'll admit, but I outclass them by far."

"Considering how much closer I am to magic compared to most people from home." He pointedly raised an eyebrow at her so she could note the two exceptions. "And I don't care what brought me here so long as I'm not returning."

She nodded as if she'd expected that.

"Ah? Well, that will make things easier then, I suppose," he said absently. "But yes, I'm a Healing Adept as opposed to a regular mage. I deal with slightly different energies, or at least in different ways, and we tend to be more powerful than normal mages. Which, as your Companion said, will likely make me more suited to be your teacher."

He arched an eyebrow. "I suppose you would know better than I in this instance. I've always been more.... directed towards battle arts, so magic explorations have fallen well behind in importance."

"You'll get along well with the Herald-Mages, then," he said absently. "That's much of what they're training for - the battle-magics, that is."

"No, battle _arts_ not magics. Materia magic is a given, of course, but anything beyond that wasn't truly considered effective or useful, and thus, discouraged." He shook his head slightly. "Of the two of us here, Zack is the one who had the time to explore that area."

He rolled his eyes. "Thus why you'll want to _study_ battle magic." An impatient sigh.

He couldn't help the twitch of his lips. "I gathered that. I can imagine there are gains, but to what end?"

"A single mage can hold off an army on his own," he said absently. "Or destroy a country by himself." As Ancar had. "And if you're staying here, you'll _need_ to learn it, as I doubt any enemies will be magnimonious and refrain from using it."

"Considering I already know how to do _those_ things..."

He smirked then. "I doubt you know the extent of it."

"I was the main force behind destroying the last free thinking country. I had a bit of help, but I was the one put in charge of dealing with the majority of it, and Ninja are highly creative in their retaliations."

"Ninja-" and he didn't know the word, but he didn't let that show- "are not Blood Path Adepts."

"No, I don't imagine they'd like the connotations of those words to me, but they never severely wounded me either." He waved a hand. "I'm not adverse to learning, but I was made a General ten years ago for a reason. Be I agreeable to those reasons or not, they weren't without support."

"And my hair was white from magic when I was ten years old," he returned absently. "You are in a land where many people are given great responsibility and power from a young age. It is not an uncommon thing."

"I never claimed otherwise. Merely that I know my way around at least the topics you're presenting." He paused briefly. "Your hair was once another color?"

"Wonderful to know then!" He gave him a bright, pleased smile. "And yes, it was black, as all Tayledras. Those without much magic usually aren't completely white-haired until their late twenties, but those of us who work with the Heartstone bleach out much faster."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Hm. I have always been the coloring you see." He absently indicated himself. "It didn't occur to me there was a possibility of... bleaching by way of magic, as I've certainly never seen it."

"Have you ever tried to dye your hair?" He asked absently as he sipped at his drink.

"Dye doesn't take. Blood does, but I'm rather adverse to leaving bloodstains on myself."

"Magic bleaching. And bloodstains would get bleached out shortly after." He waved toward Vianna. "Thus why Companions are white."

_:Much to the annoyance of Heralds in the past. We can't exactly be disguised.:_

He blinked, looking to her. "No, blood stays as long as it takes for me to get somewhere and take a few hours to scrub it. I didn't have a chance for an entire week once and the color didn't fade even slightly."

Firesong paused, raising an eyebrow. "Now _that's_ interesting..."

"No dyes ever take however, and I could never wear contacts." He grimaced. "I've seen the unfortunate repercussions of _that_." He touched beside his eyes. "We had to have one of the men with the medical team for a near week because he decided to try to hide the glow of his eyes by that method. They fused to his eyes."

"Contacts?" he asked curiously. "And magic - powerful magic, enough to cause ones eyes to glow like that - often doesn't take well to mundane objects."

"Contacts are like glasses that, to most, can be harmlessly place directly against the eyes. I could never wear them nor could any other SOLDIER." He grimaced. "They melt. It would be like trying to put active materia in a plastic container, it simply would not work." He ran a finger over one of the blue orbs on his wrist.

That word caused him to perk up. "Materia?" He'd heard _something_ interesting about that...

He nodded slightly, then smirked slightly. With a name like that... He picked one of his fires and flicked the green orb to him. "Materia."

He caught it, and then his eyes went wide with pure fascination. Without saying another word, he sank himself into the spell, studying it closely and how it worked and the connection that ran from it to Sephiroth. How _fascinating_!

He moved over, lightly touching his shoulder in a tap. No, the man didn't get to keep it. However... Smirking slightly, he fished out Phoenix, seeing if the man would show he noticed him before he switched the materia on him.

Sephiroth's presence close by was enough to make him look up, blinking in surprise.

He quirked an eyebrow, then calmly switched the green orb with the blood red one in his other hand.

That one he didn't need to go deeply into, and he raised it thoughtfully to eye it. "A phoenix, but bound in a rather interesting way. Fascinating."

"That one was a gift of Zack's to me. He has the parent materia of this child." He ran his fingers over it. "I expect eventually he'll give me others of his summons as well." He tapped it lightly. "But phoenix I keep in junction to this." He took and put her back on his bracer, pulling the blue final attack she'd been joined with and handing it to him. "The colors have meanings. Red are summons, blue are... helpers you could say, to whatever they join. That one is effective if a person falls. I've never personally been in that situation, and with phoenix I would be fine if I was. My other blues are mostly Alls which are basically an intent that focuses the spell on all your enemies or all your allies in your reach if you chose to trigger them as well. Fire, obviously, which so fascinated you, is one of the greens. Lighter Greens are protective or healing, darker are offensive. Purples... well, they're special and take none of your power to do as they do. They just enhance you or as one Zack has, boost luck. There's also Enemy Lure and Enemy Away of course. And others. I'm fond of the one that lets a person breathe under water. And the yellows... well, those range from manipulate, to steal, to... well, mimic. I have a mimic and an enemy Skill myself." He gave him a grim smile. "Mimic lets you do something one of your allies has done without the cost. If perchance I was on the field with Zack and he cast a firaga, and I mimicked, I would be able to do the same. Enemy Skill." He hummed. "That just collects spells used against you so you may use them when you feel like it."

"And yet they all require you to have them on your person," he said, though his eyes were alight with pure fascination. "I've cast magic with nothing on me but my hair. Though that wasn't exactly something I'd want to repeat, as it was rather cold out," he mused absently, then dismissed it with a wave. "Still! It is still _very_ interesting."

"I can cast all spells I've been in contact with without the materia, save summons. Though only greens. Yellow based events still give me fits, and working with blues, well." He fished out the Enemy Skill materia and collected his final attack to put her back in his bracer as he dropped the yellow in the man's hand.

Before Firesong could look intently into that one, a sound came from the upper floors of the _ekele_. An'desha stepped out, looking down at the trio below, and then shrank back into the doorway. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to inter-"

"Not a problem at all!" Firesong positively lit up. "Please, An'desha, come down and meet Sephiroth and Vianna."

An'desha glanced at Sephiroth, then shyly headed down the steps toward them. Firesong handed his drink over to him as soon as he got close, fussing over him.

He blinked, then tilted his head to peer at this new person. "You have eyes like mine." He couldn't help the tinge of surprise. 

He flinched back, one hand going to touch his temples lightly even as he looked to meet Sephiroth's eyes. There was confusion in his eyes, and a touch of wonder as well. "How...did your eyes get like that?"

Firesong was very quiet as they spoke.

"So far as I'm aware, I was born this way." He quirked his lips very slightly. "I've never seen eyes like mine before. Not even in the other two."

"I..." He paused, and then continued. "My body was stolen by a monster. He warped me...completely. The only way I look at all like this-" He stopped, holding his hands out and studying them, still expecting to find golden fur and wicked claws. "The only reason is because the Star-Eyed saw fit to bless me. And Nyara."

He considered that. "I can't say I'd like to experience something like that." He sharply repressed the whisper that indicated something he was ignoring from childhood. "But I've seen something like that happen. More through... unwillingness to be helped and trust that I would help than by an outside failing however." He shook his head. "Perhaps Minerva looked on Genesis as your Star Eyed looked on you. It would explain where he got to."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey Seph." He looked sideways at the other man, having been looking up at the clouds passing through the sky. Seph seemed to be too busy to look at him, but the man at least hummed to show he heard. Rolling his eyes, he reached over to pull the book down."Seph, need your attention."

Vianna, lying on the grass in the sun, opened a blue eye to look at Zack and sent sleepy inquiry, far too relaxed to try for actual _words_.

Finally the silver haired man sighed and looked at him. "What?"

"Here." He took one of the man's hands, then carefully wrapped a green and yellow ribbon with orange laced through the pattern. Then waited, obviously anxious.

Seph, meanwhile, felt his eyes widening and was rather frozen in place. 

Vianna's head jerked up at the sudden reaction in Sephiroth's thoughts, heaving herself ungracefully to her feet to get to them quickly. _:What? Are you alright?:_

He didn't answer her, unable to get the mental footing to do so, and mutely shoved the ribbon back at Zack, shaking his head furiously.

Zack put his hand over it and pushed the hand right back at the man, not seeing rejection so much as stubborn and shock. "No, I _mean_ it Seph." The words were kind of gruff as he got Seph's hand back towards himself.

He finally managed to catch his thoughts, though his mental voice was a little weak, stunned. _:I'm okay.:_ He gave his head another shake. "I don't believe you."

_:Please explain soon,:_ she said plaintively. _:Or else you'l have a rather hysterical Companion on your hands, and I don't do hysterical well.:_

"Well, believe me." Zack turned the ribbon and made sure the man could see the detail of the pattern. "Okay? Please? Let me try."

He stared at it, then let out a shaky breath."Zack." But he didn't fight when the man took the ribbon and leaned to tie it into his hair, eyes still a little wide. _:He made me a ribbon Vianna.:_

_:Is that anything like the Tayledras' gift of feathers...?:_ She calmed some, nosing the side of his head lightly, and eyeing Zack thoughtfully. Really, it...might make some sense, considering their actions. Well, Zack's actions.

_:Maybe?:_ He finally managed to get himself calmed a little. "There wasn't any gold..."

"I know." He gave him a wry little smile. "Air suits better right now for me, and the yellow works for you too. Right? You're not much of a zapper though." He settled back and rested his hand on his cheek. "Just trust me a bit eh? I don't mess everything important up, I promise."

She looked between the two of them carefully, picking up what she could from surface thoughts. She wouldn't go deeper. Touching Sephiroth's cheek again, she projected reassurance to him.

He glanced to her, then back to Zack. "I don't want that sort of thing to happen again."

"Yeah, well, I'm not them either." He leaned forward and hugged him. "Just trust me, kay?"

Vianna kept up the warm reassurance, reminding him of her own presence with him.

He finally ducked his head and leaned into the hold. "I will _try_."

"I've been here a couple years, I can wait longer. Honest." He kissed his cheek. "Thanks Vi, I didn't expect him to freak out at me."

_:If I may,_ why _did he freak out?:_ She kept this private to Zack, letting him know, and continued helping to comfort Sephiroth.

_:He... well, neither of us explained to you what happened have we? I know we've hinted but...:_ He stroked Seph's hair, feeling the man relaxing.

_:I know some of it,:_ she said simply, _:but not all.:_

_:Well, Seph didn't grow up normal. He was alone a lot when he was a kid, outside labs from what I can figure out. I don't know when he was, but he was introduced to Angeal and Genesis. They were already friends by then, two years older than him, and also experiments like he was. Just not the same one. I met Angeal first. He was my mentor when I was fifteen. I'm eighteen now. I meant two years because when I first met Seph... well, Angeal and Genesis were starting to have problems, mental issues since Genesis was going way round the bend, and I never liked that man. He got Angeal thinking he was a monster. They both had wings. You have no idea how bad I wanted wings when I saw Angeal's.... I admire him a lot, even now, and the blade I have was his, once. But... well, he left with Genesis, and when I first met Seph, he told me that they'd defected. I didn't believe him. I was really angry with him in fact. For the first several months we knew each other we fought, a lot. But he told me I was the only one that could get them back for him, and I believed him, and I_ tried _... and failed. Genesis and I fought even worse than me and Seph. He took my mentor away. The man I admired and wanted to do everything in my power to show how awesome I could be because he taught me. Angeal was... He cared a lot about honor. I ended up killing him. He was twisting himself, physically. He'd been doing the reverse of Genesis. Genesis was making other SOLDIERs into clones of himself, but Angeal... he was pulling creatures into himself. He ended up this great winged... creature at the end. He was doing his level best to get me to kill him. Seph wasn't there, I'm glad he wasn't, But... Angeal wanted to die how_ he _wanted to die, not just wasting away, y'know... And that's what happened. Genesis just vanished, but Seph was just... floating. I tried though.:_

The interesting part about communicating with an Empath was that more than half the story came across in pictures rather than words. She turned and touched her muzzle to his head as well, sending warmth and reassurance. _:You did try. You did your best. Do_ not _blame yourself.:_ That last sentence was sent to the both of them.

Zack smiled at her and hugged Seph a bit harder as he turned his head to eye his Companion. She returned the look with an arch, 'I am a mysterious and wise being who knows what she's talking about' look.

He eyed her harder. "Vianna."

_:Sephiroth.:_

"What did he say?"

_:He simply explained things I hadn't known.:_ She remained inscrutable.

"Such as?"

_:Things.:_

He scowled slightly. "Hmph."

_:It is nothing harmful,:_ she said calmly. _:Merely information.:_

He turned his eyeing on Zack.

Zack just gave him a sheepish smile and pulled the long tail of the ribbon. "You want me to braid the rest of this in or just leave it tied off...?"

She tugged gently at the hair it was braided into. _:It would look interesting either way.:_

Seph gave them both an irritated look, then sighed. "You can braid the rest if you like."

Zack grinned. "Of course it would. He's Seph."; Draping himself against the other man, he set to getting the ribbon braided into the length of his hair.

She watched it get braided in, and then nodded. _:I like it.:_

Zack pondered, then nudged Seph. "You should get her a ribbon."

He blinked, then arched an eyebrow. "I suppose you have a point don't you." He looked at her speculatively.

She whuffed curiously. _:What do they mean?:_

"Ribbons are... They mean closeness. Clothes mean a deep relationship or a married couple, usually. Blade sheath inscriptions are sworn partners. Ribbons are a... well, they can go with the others of course, but usually, they're a token of self more towards... intents and promises." He nodded slightly. "Some children get overzealous about that I've heard."

She nosed his. _:What do the colors mean?:_  
He considered how to put it. "Gold is electric in nature, Orange, fire. Blue lends towards ice, with purples into the water realms. Silver is an affinity to time magic, green is healing or inverse. Yellow is nonelemental and air affinities. White is mourning. Black is comfort and protection. And red is fortune, blessing, the brightest fires."

_:Hm. The color associations are almost more Karsite than Valdamaran,:_ she said thoughtfully.

"That's simply how they are. I understand they're slightly different in some places, but that's the typical. Zack could have chosen silver or blue for me, had he wished to."

Vianna's expression was thoughtful, and her mental voice quiet as she leaned against him. _:...what colors would you give me?:_

"Black. Possibly Yellow."

She huffed a quiet breath against him, eyes closing. _:I'm glad. I...I don't know what I'd give you yet. I'd have to think.:_

He quirked his lips and moved one hand to stroke the Companion's face, then glanced to Zack. He already knew what colors he would give Zack if he did. "Yellow and Orange are the ones I most associate with myself. So they would be there as well." He shook his head slightly. "I've ever been fond of fire."

She nodded. _:Firestarter. Of course you like it.:_

He arched an eyebrow. "Just one spell among many."

Zack made a curious noise.

_:It's more than just that, and you know it.:_

"Do I?" He glnced to Zack. "She called me a firestarter."

_:Oh, I know you can call fire with true magic. But you have the mind magic for it as well.:_

"Well, you do like fire."

"I am aware of that. And are you really sure of that?"

She delicately touched the area of his mind that felt of the Firestarting Gift. _:Other Firestarters have called this 'the dragon in their soul'.:_

He blinked and arched an eyebrow. "Hm. It's warm."

_:Of course. It's_ fire _.:_

He just arched an eyebrow at her and patted her nose.

She blinked. _:-Did you expect me to say something like, "No, it's warm because it's_ ice _":_ Despite her words, there was a distinct amount of humor in them.

He snorted softly. "It seems as no dragon to me."

"What am I missing here?"

_:You have good control over you emotions,:_ she explained, then turned to Zack. _:Firestarting is a form of mind-magic as opposed to true magic. The effects are similar in both types, but many mages who think to block one type don't block the other. It's often refered to as a dragon by Firestarters if it is powerful, as it tends to be linked to emotions - specifically, anger.:_

"I don't get angry, typically, so that explains that."

"Genesis threw fire at everyone who even irritated him." It was a disgruntled mutter.

_:Like I said,:_ she stated confidently. _:And Genesis quite likely was a Firestarter as well. Gifts seem to be in a profusion around you SOLDIER types.:_

"Well, all SOLDIER are infused with Mako, which is just concentrated lifestream."

_:Which is energy which is magic which awakens your Gifts,:_ she finished.

Zack gave her a sheepish shrug. "Maybe so yeah. It's life."

_:Exactly!:_

He stuck out his tongue at her for that. "But yeah, most SOLDIERs cn do something or another."

_:How many others are healers like you?:_ she asked curiously. _:You said it was rare.:_

"Well... the only other person I met with a healing limit was my girlfriend, and a few of the she ninja in Wutai seemed to be able to do it too, but that's it. I'm the only guy known, and I looked it up too..."

_:How have your, ah, lessons with the Healers here gone?:_ There was a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.

He huffed. "Busy. They still haven't figured out how to trigger my limit outside combat."

_:What about in combat, though? I know Healer Devan's not a SOLDIER, but he should still be good enough to give you a bit of a run around.:_

He grinned, "Oh they've managed to get me to limit a couple times in spars. Made em more determined."

_:That sounds like Healers, yes. Annoyingly determined, no matter how helpful they are.:_

"They're not annoying!"

She whickered laughter. _:I never said they were! I said their determination could be!:_ Amusement danced in her eyes.

Zack pouted as Seph smirked slightly. "Come Zack, they're just as persistent as you."

Vianna nodded, still laughing.

Zack pouted even more, then moved to get to his feet, "I know when I'm not being appreciated!"

_:Really?:_ Wicked amusement colored her voice.

He gave them both a pout. "Yes. I'm going to find someone who appreciates me." With an exaggerated sniffle, he made to walk off.

"Faker."

_:You really need to work on your acting skills.:_

He tossed his head. "Hmph!!" He glanced over his shoulder with a look of woe, then pretended to stalk away. He'd get a snack.

"I think he might actually be going somewhere."


	5. Chapter 5

Vianna checked the package on her blanket one last time to make sure it was secure before heading toward Sephiroth's thoughts.

He ignored Zack's grin and just tossed his braid back behind his shoulder. "Too smug." Shaking his head, he got up to go find Vianna. Unlike Zack, who only needed one nicely lengthed ribbon, he had a small handful of them for her. She had more hair. Yes, that was his excuse.

 _:There you are!:_ She paused, and blinked at his handful, feeling oddly abashed as she came closer, though she didn't say anything else.

 _:You were looking for me?:_ He moved forward, hesitated, then moved forward with more certainty, reaching up to let her see the mixed design of yellow orange and black.

 _:I've...got a gift for you too. Not quite the same thing, though.:_ She held still to let him work.

He inclined his head slightly and braided the half dozen smaller ribbons into several braids down her mane, then moved, after a glance that she didn't mind, to thread them through her tail. _:You didn't have to get me anything.:_

 _:I know. But I wanted to.:_ She waited until he was done, then reached around to the simple blanket that she was wearing, nosing under and delicately retrieving a shining band of silver and white. _:I realize that they're not your color-meanings, but I wanted this anyway.:_ She held it out to him delicately. _:It's our hair. I managed to abscond with your brush while you were off, and asked a Herald-friend of mine to make this for us.:_

He reached up and took the band carefully. "In a way they can still apply." It was a murmur. "But this is far more intimate than just colors."

 _:I...rather though it would be,:_ she said softly, nosing his cheek. _:You can either braid it in like one of your ribbons, or wear it as a bracelet.:_ She sent him an image of how that worked, the thinner bit at the end slipping into the loop at the top.

He petted her face, then slipped it onto his wrist, under his bracer. "Vianna? I do believe my colors look more fetching on you than the typical."

 _:Really?:_ She twisted her neck to take a look at as much of herself as she could see, flicking her tail to catch sight of the ribbons amongst the white.

"Well, you needn't take my word for it. Lets see if anyone else comments, I'm sure we can find someone, or a mirror."

Her ears and tail flagged at that, and she glanced around. _:Where's Zack? Usually he likes to spend time with you when he can. Unless the healers have him?:_ A thoughtful pause. _:Or have the mages finally managed to pin him down?:_

"Well, I left him off that way... but as he didn't follow I have the feeling he was ambushed."

She peered off in the indicated direction. _:Should we go rescue him?:_

He considered. "Well, it would get us opinions. We'll check the mages first."

She presented him with her side - if nothing else, the blanket - which was cinched on - would make a slightly more comfortable ride than just bare back. He smiled slightly and got himself up without much trouble, settling. It was no difficulty to head toward the latest meeting spot of the mages, ears perked to see if she could hear Zack, or just the usual semi-incomprehensible babble of a number of experts gathered together.

Zack was looking around, eyes bouncing from person to person as he was asked some things.

"It seems he's there."

 _:Having fun?:_ she called as they approached. The mages - including Firesong, who was just watching with amusement - mostly paid them no real mind for the time being.

Zack leaned up on his toes and looked over. flapping his hands. "Seph! You didn't tell me they were so out of the loop!"

"I have been trying."

"Please," Firesong laughed. "We learned different aspects and ways of using magic."

Zack pouted. "Then why was I getting questioned if Seph covered it all already?"

"I'm a bit reticent in my details is all." He leaned over Vianna's neck to reach down and rest his hand on Zack's head.

"And besides," Firesong added cheerfully. "How could we turn down the opportunity to enjoy your charming company?" Then he paused to look Vianna over, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. "And it seems someone managed to talk you into something other than white and blue." There was distinct approval in his voice.

"Oh hey, his colors look good!" He flashed her a grin. After all, the ribbon he had wasn't so different.

"Of course they do." He looked to Firesong with an amused little smile. "I didn't need to convince her, I merely had to give her them." He patted her neck.

"I," he said seriously, "have spent far too much time with 'regular' Heralds, who insist on absolutely nothing but the plainest white when on duty, and often when off of it as well." Firesong rolled his eyes. "Standard Heraldic Whites are enough to give one absolute _fits_. But yes, Zack is right. Those are rather attractive colors on you, Vianna."

She arched her neck, and winked back at Zack. _:Your ribbon still looks quite nice as well.:_

Zack flashed her a wide grin. _:I was happy he decided to give me one back.:_

Sephiroth grimaced. "I had enough of white clothes years ago. I won't be wearing them if avoidable."

 _:Why wouldn't he?:_ She kept it private.

"Ah, an intelligent man. I personally have no problem with white, but not in the amount that Heralds seem to love it," he sighed.

_:He didn't have to. It means he's decided to really give this a try.:_

He arched an eyebrow. "Where I'm from, white is for mourning."

 _:I think he likes you more than he's willing to admit - or really, more than he even realizes.:_ There was a touch of amused gossip in her voice. _:The Karsites used to associate white with evil, because of us,:_ she added on a broader band.

Zack gave her a wry smile. _:I like to think so.:_ "Wouldn't call it evil, but I can't say that the eyes didn't get bad reactions a lot back home. Least in most places."

Sephiroth wrinkled up his nose. "And you wondered why I refused to go anywhere." He arched an eyebrow at him. "So it's safe to astern that Vianna looks lovely then?"

"Of course she does!" Firesong blinked. "I imagine you'll get a number of surprised looks from the average Valdamaran, but _I_ certainly think it looks wonderful." Then he paused and eyed both Zack and Sephiroth. "You should let me dress you two up sometimes. Or even," he added, sighing, "allow Darkwind to do it, as I imagine you'll appreciate his taste more. But I'll admit that he's a talented designer."

_:Hm. You two would look good in Hawkbrother styles.:_

Zack blinked, then flashed a grin. "Sure, he around? Or you got something? Seph doesn't give a fig about clothes but I can get him into something other than his leathers if you got em! He hasn't even been looking at the things he's been given so far." He ignored the slightly irked look Seph was giving him. "And I sooo need something cooler. I mean, the clothes I've got are nice and all but they're _boring_."

He immediately perked up. "Of course I have clothing! What do you take me for, a barbarian? Hm, as to how much of it would fit you...well, we'll simply have to find out!" He stood then, waving at the other mages who were giving him resigned looks. "We can always talk with him later. Come along!"

Vianna radiated amusement, but followed after Firesong, perforce bringing Sephiroth along, unless he felt like dismounting.

Zack laughed. "That is what I meant, I mean, we're not exactly the same height or anything, though I've seen Seph in a non-button down shirt like, twice, ever. so shirts aren't a huge priority on him. Y'know?"

Sephiroth peered down at Vianna. "Why are you helping him?"

He waved dismissively. "Many things are adjustible, if only wrap-arounds and robes and the like. I'm sure we can find something." Finally. A challenge!

 _:Because, as handsome as you look in your leathers, dearheart, you would look quite handsome in something else.:_

"Awesome. You're one of the brighter dressed people, and if I'm not stuck to uniforms I'd rather look cool y'know?"

"I don't need any other clothes Vianna."

She snorted, clearly expressing her dismissal of _that_ idea.

He took the compliment with a pleased look. "Of course I am. Valdamarans have no sense of _style_."

"I remember thinkin that when I got to Midgar. All drab colors up there. I'm from the jungle!" He paused, grin sheepish. "Though Gongaga's dialect seems to go plenty fine with Valdemarian."

"It's true Vianna."

"Language is only language," he said airily, dismissing the topic. "Do you think, if you had the chance, you might be able to show me what some of the styles from your homeland look like? I'm always on the lookout for more options..."

"Ohhh, I could draw some. I'm not great at it, but it'd give you a decent idea. A lot of it was designed around Maiden's Kisses though. Had to be."

"Hm? Ah, yes. The items you mentioned. That will be rather interesting, I think..."

Zack laughed. "Maiden's Kiss is a type of cloak, to prevent being frogged. As being frogged sucks massively since other things in the jungle _eat_ frogs."

"Hm. Cloaks can be useful, but within a Vale they tend to get a bit stifling unless made with the right materials."

Zack waved his hands. "No no, little halfback cloaks, good for a little shade at best."

"Ah, alright. I can see how that would be a little better."

"Yeah, wearing something heavy would kill in the summer. Huuuuumid."

 _:At least they're getting along well!:_ she said cheerfully.

 _:That's good?:_ He wasn't so sure.

 _:Better than it could be, I suppose. Firesong could actually be serious when he flirts with you. Or, for that matter, with Zack.:_ As they all spoke, Firesong lead the way toward the _ekele_ in Companion's Field.

_:Why would he be?:_

_:He's a flirt - and until he met An'desha, he was perfectly willing to trade feathers with any handsome man who was willing,:_ she explained.

_:I don't understand:_

_:It's a Tayledras custom - they trade feathers with each other if they want to have sex. If it's a casual encounter, it can be any old feather. If it's something permanent, they're feathers from their bondbirds. Lady Elspeth wears Darkwind's feathers, for example.:_

_:Oh.:_ There was something about that tone that hinted heavilly towards a gap in understanding. _:I suppose I understand that.:_

She paused and checked once more to make sure they were completely private. _:-Dearheart, what do you know about sex?:_ There was a touch of embarassment in her voice, despite the bold words.

_:I know that it's something people do, and I'm not completely ignorant of details._

If it were possible for Companions to blush, she probably would be. _:Well. Um.:_ And for once she was at an utter loss for words.

_:Were you worried I didn't know the process for when I get around to it?:_

_:No... I was_ hoping _that it wasn't going to be an issue, though.:_

_:I assure you I did read up on the subject at some point.:_ He reached down to pat her reassuringly, getting a curious look from Zack while he and the other man were talking.

 _:I suppose I should have expected you to, yes,:_ she said, turning to touch her nose gently to the tip of one of his feet.

 _:Of course, how else was I to find anything out? The only two prospectives were almost utterly focused on each other._ :

She sent him a wave of comfort for that. _:If you ever need to ask anything of me, go ahead. I may not be human, but I can try to help.:_

He sent back a mostly confused inquiry about what she meant, not even putting together a coherent question.

Hm. That could be taken awkwardly, yes. _:Um. That is, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.:_ The feeling sent along with it was distinctly embarrasment.

_:...Well that makes more sense yes.:_

The embarrassment kept her from saying anything else, flustered as she simply followed after Firesong and Zack. 

"Here we are," he said, sliding inside of his _ekele_ and holding the door open for the other three. He patted her neck again before slipping down to the ground, Zack immediately latching on and dragging him along inside. Oh yes because he was going to run now. She, of course, followed after cheerfully, not about to be left out just now. 

An'desha looked over from where he was heading into his small tent, nodding a shy greeting to them before heading back into concealment. Firesong looked after him, and sighed before leading them up the steps into the _ekele_ proper in the tree. 

Sephiroth looked sideways at Firesong. He didn't understand why the man reacted like that to An'desha keeping himself out of sight. He came out if it was anything particularly important. At least from what he had pieced together of him over the weeks when they talked. 

Zack looked after the guy and then gave Firesong a wry look. "Should I even ask what keeps him scared?" 

He shook his head in frustration. "He keeps thinking that Falconsbane is still in his body with him. He _isn't_. I should know, I shredded that creature's soul with my own talons! But An'desha..." He sighed again. 

"Some fears aren't so easily allayed." Sephiroth's voice was a murmur. "Even unreasonable ones will control ones actions well past due time to stop." He flicked a hand. "Let him be. He'll come out later when you need someone to parade us around in front of, I'm sure." 

Zack cast Seph a worried look, then shook his head. 

He rolled his eyes, but let it go for now. "Anyway, clothing...let's see." He headed toward the closet he'd gotten, throwing it open to reveal a riot of silks in all sorts of patterns and colors. 

_:Make sure you two come down to show off for me as well,:_ Vianna called after them. _:We can go out and wow everyone together!:_

Zack immediately moved forward to look at the mass of color. "Oh shiny!" 

"...When did I agree to go about wowing anyone?" 

He searched through the various garments, pulling several out and holding them up to examine before either setting them aside for possible wearing, or else tossing them away in dismissal. "Any prefered colors?" he asked them. 

_:When I started walking after them.:_

Zack grinned widely an flashed Seph an impish look. "Ribbon matching too intimate for you~?" 

Seph huffed, then snorted softly. "Zack. No it's not." He waved a hand. "Though I'm not helping." 

He raised an eyebrow, but let them flirt. At Sephiroth's comment though, he smirked. "Faboulous. That means I get to pick what you wear~!" 

Zack grinned widely. "Seph'd do blues too, he's always liked his ice almost as much as his fire." He snickered at the way Seph was eyeing the other silver haired man. "And I like purple, cause it brings out my eyes." He batted his eyes at him. "I really don't see my color much ever." 

)He turned to look Seph over thoughtfully. "Hm, yes. Or a vivid green, with black because he seems to like it so much." Silver eyes looked him over. "Possibly with silver accents." He didn't know the meanings that they obviously had behind colors, but he knew what looked good. "And for you...I could see purple, yes. Where-" He turned, digging back through a few samples for something in specific. 

Zack gave Seph a grin as the man looked a bit flustered, then moved over to peer into the clothes as Firesong dug through them. "I look good in yellow too, weirdly enough." 

He paused as he was digging. "I can see that. Now where- ah!" He perked up, withdrew a length of brilliantly purple silk from the pile. 

Interested, he reached out to take it. "That is a nice color right there." 

Eyeing them both, he seriously considered, well, escaping. Maybe they wouldn't notice? 

_:I'm still at the bottom of the stairs,:_ Vianna said, mental voice sing-song. 

He unfolded it as he handed it over - it was a simple enough wrap-around robe, but a moment's look at it had him digging through the pile again. Zack tilted his head, trying to figure out how a guy would go about puting that on. 

Seph huffed softly. _:It was worth a thought._

He waved absently over his shoulder. "It goes on like a cloak. Let me find a proper tie for the waist, and an over-robe. It's too simple as it is." 

He gave him an amused grin. "Alright, I'll just start changing eh? Least I'll have the basics outta the way for test runs on clothes." He set the purple cloth to the side and set about tugging off the clothes he figured it would have covered anyway. 

A few other objects of clothing made their way over to Zack to accentuate the purple, touched with black and silver, and then Firesong sighed happily. "Here we are." He pulled out a long outfit, mostly black at first, with touches of emerald green embroidery here and there, though it was subdued compared to some of the other outfits he'd thrown aside. Then the light flashed across it, revealing the green within the black. He turned and held it out in offering to Sephiroth. 

While Zack was apparently perfectly happy trying on the mass he'd acquired, Seph was a bit slower, taking the cloth and rubbing it between his fingers a little as he considered it. It was silk, but stronger than the usual stuff. It would take quite a bit more damage than the average make of silk. 

_:Tayledras silk is notoriously more durable than the stuff Valdamarans have had,:_ Vianna reassured. 

"It's not durability I'm considering Vianna." It was a murmur, and he tilted the cloth, eyes easilly picking out the vivid, to him, contrasts of colors. 

"Go ahead and put it on Seph, Don't think I don't know you appreciate art like that." 

"Oh, indulge me," Firesong pleaded, though he couldn't get rid of the smile. "I'm no designer like Darkwind, but I know style and colors." 

_:If you really don't like it after you put it on, I won't ask you to try on anything else..:_ Her voice was a little disappointed, though. 

He finally sighed and stripped, less modest about it than Zack. Then again he didn't abide underthings either. "I simply haven't seen subtle patterning on this level in a while. Nothing more." 

" _Hertasi_ work," he explained, pleased. "They can do things on a level that humans simply can't match." He also took the opportunity afforded to him by the two of them stripping down to enjoy the show shamelessly, though he kept it toned down. 

He snorted softly. "Some SOLDIER who had hobby of arts would get more detailed than this. Within color at least." 

Zack rolled his eyes as he settled the clothes in piece, watching Seph. "Well not everyone can see like you can y'know." 

"You should see some of the creations they make for themselves, then," he commented. It was still settling in that the two of them had such expanded senses, but he was getting used to it. 

"That'd be awesome! Color range has been soooo cool since I hit SOLDIER." He leaned in towards Firesong with a wry smile. "I can't even imagine what it'd be like for someone like Seph. I mean, massive spike, if he ever got swamped into normal well." 

"I'm not deaf Zack." He didn't sound irritated though. "And I have no desire to turn into the percieved norm." He pulled on the dark material, adjusting it to how it seemed intended to fall. 

"It seems like the first time most people use Mage Sight," he agreed. "It's actually an effort for me to _not_ use it, but I've spoken with enough who are just learning the skill." Once Sephiroth had the cloth on, he moved forward to help settle it properly. "Hmm. Yes, I think this works. Not too complicated, but still elegant." 

"I've always been as I am, unlike Zack, so I wouldn't be able to say on changing senses." He held still patiently. 

Zack rolled his eyes, shifting in place as he worked on deciding if the clothes were on right. "It's a huge leap is all. What's Mage sight entail anyway? Haven't gotten a clear answer ont hat one." 

Sephiroth's clothes adjusted, Firesong turned to Zack's, helping get them settled. A few accessories he studied, removed, and then replaced with things he considered more appropriate. Zack's clothing was much more elaborate, if only because Firesong figured he'd be more willing to allow it. "No one's explained that yet? What about Healer's sight? Similar, but focused toward the body's energies instead of the world's."

Zack flashed him a grin. "They told me about that yeah, trying to figure out how I could do stuff. I didn't know people could do that until they showed me! Since I mean, where we're from magic has a bit of visibility if you know what you're looking for anyway." He laughed and shook his head, glancing to Seph as the man fidgeted at the clothes. "Seph, relax."


	6. Chapter 6

Before Zack could do anything to try and get Sephiroth to actually relax though, there was a mass of black and blond, which looked to have been shoved. Right into Firesong. 

Firesong had similarly prepared himself to do something - explain the way Mage Sight worked, in his case - when he found himself with a armful of blond man. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He caught him, shields subconsciously snapping into place. "What-?!" 

Meanwhile, Vianna shied sideways suddenly when the same magic which had brought the blond into existence twisted next to her, and a _very_ befuddled Companion stallion suddenly appeared. The thoughts were muddled and consisted mostly of concepts, of speed and travelling, and swords in his shoulders? His tack was black instead of blue, to make things more confusing. 

Both of the other men tensed, though Zack moved forward, as that was a damn familiar head of hair. "...Spike?" 

Cloud, meanwhile, jerked backwards as his eyes caught on the hair... only to pause in confusion as he took in the rest of the man. Before he heard Zack. _Zack_. Drawing in a sharp breath, he twisted to look, unable to help the raw hope in his voice. "...Zack?" 

The feminine voice wasn't quite mindtouch, but was something softer, almost audible. _Now, you boys take good care of Cloud. He's been through a lot and is from a version of the world where you two didn't vanish. He's been hurt a lot, and he's not better yet okay? Zack, yes I'm dead here, no it wasn't anything you could have stopped. And Sephiroth, you just be patient with him, he'll come around eventually._ There was a gust of an almost sigh, and fingers brushed over Cloud's hair. _Goodbye Cloud. Be happy, hmm?_ Then, she tried to go. 

Firesong blinked, first down at the blond, and then up at Zack. "I take it you know him?" And _my_ , wasn't he an utterly attractive young man? ...more than attractive, really. Odd. 

Zack was confused. Very very confused. But Cloud had _never_ turned that voice on him and he didn't understand it. Even if Aeris-voice had said she was dead, Which was _bad_ but... well, she had apparently left already. "Yeah and _yeah_. Spike, you alright? You've never turned the kicked puppy hoping for a treat face on me before." 

Cloud shook his head, still feeling very disoriented. But, well, Zack. "But you're _alive_." 

Sephiroth rubbed his forehead, trying to shake off the disorienting influx of impression he was getting from Strife. "Zack, you never said you were dating _that_ particular woman." 

Firesong wasted a bit more magic to pull a chair over, concerned with not just the blond's - Spike's - arrival, but also the odd magic swirling around downstairs, though he wasn't sure it was harmful. But first..."Are you alright? I believe you've been transported...rather suddenly." 

The operative term was "tried." She "tried" to go, and failed. Miserably. And then she staggered because that was two more hooves than she'd had before, and two _less_ hands, and a distinctly physical body. And a strong shoulder holding her up and keeping her from falling over. _:...what?:_

_:This...:_ She swung her head side-to-side, wobbling. _:Something's wrong.:_

Vianna got her shoulder against the stallion better, helping him stay up. Well...she thought it was a him. The mind-voice was feminine, which contradicted the rest of it. _:Sephiroth?:_ she called up. 

Cloud didn't show he even heard the inquiry, Sephiroth's voice jerking him around as his hand went for the blade at his back in a heartbeat. On the verge of drawing his blade though, he froze, taking in the man's attire in a quick flick of his eyes, confusion saturating his tone. "What the hell are you wearing?" 

Zack blinked a few times at Seph. "If you'd ever met her you would have known who she was!" 

Sephiroth stared at Cloud a moment. "Zack, did you happen to notice the changes in Strife?" _:We have a bit of ah... crisis up here._ :

"Hm. Pardon me," he said absently, twisting around and manipulating 'Spike's' body so that he sat down. "There. Now that you're sitting, I believe we might wish to reassess the current situation. Zack?" Sephiroth at least seemed focused. 

_:There's a newcomer down here. A Companion I've never seen before that_ isn't _one of the Grove Born.:_

"I'm wearing something Firesong just put me in. That would be the man ah, manhandling you." _:Well, we just had an arrival who came with a spirit, is it a female?:_

Zack shook his head. "My head hurts. Y'know that?" He moved over and leaned in to look at Cloud, who yanked him into a yelp-inducing hug. "Okay, you're waaaay stronger'n I remember." 

Cloud squished Zack and buried his face in his hair. He was aliiiiiive. And Sephiroth was confusing him. "When did Sephiroth start being sane again?" 

_:...sort of?:_ She still wasn't sure about that. _:Not physically. But the voice is.:_

"Sephiroth never stopped being sane Spikey." 

"Yes he did! He hasn't been sane for seven years! When he's been alive anyway." 

_:Can you show her how to reach up here like you do?:_

_:I'll try.:_ A soft murmur, and she bent her head to the stallion. _:Come on. Reach up to them, like_ this _,:_ she murmured, guiding his/her mind. 

_:Cloud?:_ Aeris' mind-voice wavered in and out of focus as she reached for him. 

Before Zack could argue with him more, he reflexively grabbed for that sensation of Aeris. She hadn't left. Feeling a surge of relief, he clung to that spot of familiarity. "Aeris what did you _do_?" 

She started. _:It was only supposed to bring him here. He's been through so much...:_

"It? Aeris! I have Zack, _in my arms_ last time that happened he was _bleeding to death_." He squeezed the dark haired man hard enough he squeaked. "And Sephiroth isn't trying to kill me! You're here still so _explain what's going on!_ " 

Said Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, moving to the door. _:Vianna, do you suppose we should come down?:_ "Firesong, perhaps you could help me disengage Cloud before he manages to suffocate Zack in his distraction?" 

_:Let Zack breathe,:_ Aeris said, slowly finding her balance. _:Please?:_

"Come on...Cloud, is it? I'm sure that Zack is a much nicer shade when he can breathe. Purple is a lovely color on him, but that shade of it clashes with what I put him in." He rested his hand gently on Cloud's neck, massaging at a few specific pressure points to help him calm down and relax. 

_:That would probably be a good idea. Let Zack and Cloud get in contact with...Aeris?:_ That part was directed toward the other Companion, who nodded. 

Cloud loosened his grip, chagrined when Zack took a gasping breath, though having his hair fluffed up made him feel a bit better. 

"We should go outside, so he can see Aeris while she explains." It was a murmur, and he headed that way as a broad hint. 

Zack glanced after Seph, then crawled out of Cloud's lap. "C'mon, looks like Aeris is down with Vianna now so down we go yeah?" He looked to Firesong. "You might as well meet her right.' 

He raised an eyebrow. "Of course." Then he turned to the blond. "Cloud? Would you mind coming downstairs with us? I imagine more room would make all of this easier." 

Zack tugged on Cloud's hands as the blond hesitated, eyeing Sephiroth's back warily. "I don't trust him." 

"And I do. You know me, when have I ever misled you about someone?" Zack smiled when Cloud couldn't come up with an answer and tugged the blond towards the door. "Didn't think so. He's sane. Cranky sometimes and antisocial, but perfectly sane. I _promise_ you." 

Sephiroth looked over the new Companion, unable to reel in his amusement as he made his way to Vianna. "They'll be along shortly." 

Firesong kept an eye on Cloud as Zack led him out. Of course, _he_ certainly didn't appear to be any help so far. 

Aeris raised her - his? - head to study Sephiroth, and felt a distinct touch of satisfaction at his appearance. This was the right place to bring Cloud. 

Vianna nuzzled her Chosen gently, though she didn't move from where she braced Aeris. 

Cloud looked back, glancing to the man they'd left behind them. He didn't know what to make of that one, or why he wasn't riling up his defensive instincts. He did blink at the white things on the ground ahead though. "Um.... what are those?" 

Zack grinned widely. "They're called Companions... that one's Vianna so.... Aeris, what'd you do to yourself sweetheart?" 

After a moment Firesong followed after, shaking his head at himself. 

_:I don't know.:_ After a second, she sighed at the situation. _:I wasn't supposed to stay here. And not like_ this _.:_

He released Cloud and went over to pet her face. "I hate to tell you then honeybear, but it looks like you're not leavin anytime soon." 

Cloud shook his head and moved to Aeris, peering into her eyes, uncomfortably aware of Sephiroth, and he moved so she was between them. "Well, whatever else you did, I'm glad you didn't leave me here alone." He glanced to Zack, then back. "Well, mostly." 

_:You wouldn't be alone no matter what,:_ she said, meeting his gaze and then...then. Oh my. That was different. 

_:The usual phrase is "I Choose you,":_ Vianna said helpfully as the Companion-Herald bond set in between the two of them. 

Cloud had no idea what to do with that sensation. His voice was a little faint. "Aeris I think that's um, well. It didn't feel like that when we were dating." 

Zack blinked at that and eyed Cloud. "And I was sure you were totally into guys too..." 

"Thought I was you Zack, long story." It was a mutter right back from the blond, who was still blinking at Aeris. It was like that soothing feeling she'd let him have briefly when she'd visit him times a few hundred. 

_:It wasn't something that either of us expected,:_ she said faintly. _:He felt like you.:_ The sensation was something very new to her as well. 

Vianna continued simply to help hold Aeris up. She sent amusement to Sephiroth, though. Zack, Cloud and Aeris - the latter two especially - looked as if someone had come up and smacked them in the back of the head with a board. 

Zack finally shook his head and huffed out a rough laugh. "Well, okay. So the gist of it as I'm getting it, to be clear and all... I died, somewhere along the way, Seph went nutso, Cloud decided he was me and Aeris went along with it before she died...?" 

Cloud grimaced. "Sephiroth went crazy... first." He looked over at the man. ".... And what exactly is this sensation thing?" 

_:Something like that. But I'd never met him before, he just felt...familiar.:_ Aeris remembered when it had first clicked. And Cloud had been so fragile, she hadn't _dared_ tell him the truth of at least the part she knew. 

Vianna left it to Sephiroth to explain, the beginnings at least. Considering they had a similar culture, he could at least get the concepts across. 

Sephiroth realized what Vianna was expecting after a moment. "It's called a Herald bond. As she is a Companion now, that means you are her chosen. You're interconnected on a soul level so you're never alone." 

Zack blinked and looked sideways at Seph. "That's how you think of it?" He got a not in return. 

Cloud snorted softly. "I was never alone anyway if you're using _that_ meaning." 

_:No, but this should be more controlled, I believe,:_ Aeris said, instinctively reaching for the knowledge. 

"Soul bonds, hm?" Firesong's eyes sparkled in interest. 

Cloud snorted again. "You mean from my end don't you?" He gave her a _look_. "Because we both know how well I handled the last three." He paused, then drooped. "Unless you never saw the Tifa thing." 

Zack looked from one to the other in confusion. "Spike?" 

Sephiroth looked to Firesong. "That's how it feels to me at least." He ran his hand down Vianna's neck. "It's not like how I can keep track on Zack." He tilted his head. "Or how I can now sense Cloud." 

_:Yes,:_ she edited. _:And less of the actual 'controlling the other person' bit on both ends.:_ She thought. Turning to Zack, she did the best she could to reassure him, headbutting him gently. _:Things did not work out well in the world we're from,:_ she said softly. 

"Hmm. Some of it may have to do with the fact that you all come from the same world..." 

Zack rested his hand on her head. "Well, you said we died... did I even ever show you the sky?" Aeris was silent, her head, sinking downward some. 

Sephiroth blinked. "No. It has nothing to do with that." He shook his head sharply. "I've always been able to feel the other SOLDIERs if I try." 

He made another thoughtful noise, studying them all in Mage Sight. "How odd. There _is_ a connection, but it seems more akin to blood ties than anything else." 

Zack quieted a moment. "I'm sorry I broke my promise then Aeris." His voice was soft, and he kissed her between her eyes. He glanced to Seph, then to Cloud, letting out a rough breath. "Well, Spike, Seph's twenty five, and I'm eighteen. We were on a sidetrip before picking you up to head to Nibelheim for a mission. It started there, didn't it?" Just because he acted over the top didn't mean he didn't know how to think. 

Cloud pressed his lips together, then looked away. "Yes. Sephiroth killed my mom and burned the town down." 

Sephiroth looked sharply to Cloud with that, obviously surprised. He had intended to do no such thing. 

_:It wasn't your fault,:_ she reassured. _:I know you would have if you could.:_

Firesong's eyes went wide at that news. Dear Goddess... 

_:He is more stable now,:_ Vianna said calmly and serenely. 

"I was never planning to do that."He shook his head sharply, still staring at Cloud in shock. "Leave Shinra yes, that, _no_."

Cloud looked to Sephiroth with narrowed eyes. "I might be able to believe that better if I could remember you clearly before it happened. But I can't." He spread his hands out. "I have a nice six year mess of holes and total blanks in my memory instead. Zack was some of those blanks for a while, but I've gotten better." There was a bitter irony in his tone, and he dropped his hands, sighing. "It's hard to think about trusting you. Harder to think about attacking you when you're not being... like that." He shook his head, looking away from him, to Zack, then to the other guy. "I'm not the sanest man on the block, so hopefully you weren't expecting anything."

_:I_ promise _you,:_ Vianna said. _:He will never do that now. Nor anything like it. He_ didn't _intend to do that, truly.:_

Firesong stiffened with concern. "What happened, to do that to you?"

Cloud lifted his chin and met Firesong's eyes. He would not have pity. "I'll just have to see him not do it to believe it. I had to kill the man twice you know." He said that to her, then returned his attention to the man in front of him verbally. "I ended up in a lab, and Mako doesn't agree with me. I'm only as solid as I am because Zack gave me so much of himself when he died until I got pieced back into my _own_ identity properly after Aeris died. There was fiddling in between." He looked sideways at Sephiroth very breifly. "But I'm not getting ino that."

He stepped closer, checking the blond's aura once more, brows knitting together. So fragmented... 

"...What are you doing?"He eyed the man uneasily. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not that he could feel something behind that look. 

"Studying your aura," he replied absently. "It's patched and frayed, much more than that of most people."

"I just said that." He hedged, bristling slightly. "Whatever you're doing I can feel it so stop."

He met Cloud's eyes. "In a way that the average human's isn't. I might be able to help if I can understand it better."

He crossed his arms defensively, but couldn't bring himself to break the gaze. 

He moved closer, ignoring the gazes of the others if they were to look at him, laying a gentle hand on the blond's shoulder. "I don't know if I'll be able to do everything, but I promise you, I _will_ help."

He went completely tense under the touch as something in him said 'he's not safe' while something else entirely made him want to lean into it. That... he didn't get mixed feelings like that! 

He rubbed the back of his neck soothingly. "It's alright." The unease was strangely obviously, and he did his best to try and soothe that unease. 

"I don't know you." If he was Zack, he would have known how to react to the fact he was, was, was soothing. But he wasn't Zack, He was someone he'd never met before. He was confused enough, between the torn feelings he had about Sephiroth and Zack being alive, and Aeris having four legs but being with him... 

"I am Firesong k'Treva, Healing Adept of the Tayledras," he said, smiling charmingly at Cloud. If he could just help the poor man relax... 

Aeris watched the whole thing, satisfied that _this_ part of it, at least, was working out. 

If anything, he looked less sure how to react. Was everyone watching them? Everyone was watching him and wasn't that unnerving? "Cloud Strife."

"A pleasure to meet you, Cloud," he said gently. "Welcome to the country of Valdemar. I'm sorry your journey here was so rough-" and that prompted a reproving look toward Aeris, who ignored him. 

He wavered, gaze flitting to Aeris, then to Zack and Sephiroth before coming back to the man. A little sense of 'what the hell?' twittered in the Zack corner of his brain but... When the man wasn't looking at him, he moved forward, leaning up on his toes slightly as he brushed a kiss over the corner of the man's lips. Then he was moving away, deciding that... that was right. He was relieved. 

_:...Cloud?:_ She hadn't expected him to move _that_ fast, but she should have known better than to expect anything specific of Cloud, especially when he was this scattered. 

Firesong wasn't the normal person, who would simply stand there in shock when something like that, even just the quick touch it was, happened. Instead he lifted a hand to brush tenderly along Cloud's jaw as he pulled back, keeping his expression warm. 

A sound of pain from off to the side pointed out An'desha's location, feline eyes wide and hurt as he stared at the gathering of people around the blond stranger. Specifically, he stared at Firesong, before spinning on his heel and disappearing deeper into the greenery. 

Sephiroth looked after that, and was sure he wasn't the only one. Knowing that Zack didn't much know An'desha, he gestured the black haired man to stay, then curtly spun on his heel to head off after the other feline eyed man with quick steps. Let the others manage Cloud. He was sure that if Firesong followed, it might not exactly be welcome at this second. 

Cloud turned his head to look after the swirl of color. "You're with someone."Then he looked back, stepping away. "I shouldn't have done that then."

"An'desha?" Firesong started after them, eyes wide with confusion and a touch of pain. He was stopped, however, when Vianna stepped in his way. 

_:I'll make sure you two have some privacy, Chosen.:_

Zack drew in a rough breath and reached out to catch Cloud, _knowing_ that look. "No, no, you're not running off too." He caught the back of Cloud's shirt. "We're not all scattering like mad!" Then he let out a rough sigh. "Firesong, how're you feeling right now? Aside from the obvious over the gasp and run?"

"Hm? I-" He paused, then frowned. "Odd." Turning his focus inward, even when he wanted to go after An'desha - but Vianna was in the way, and Sephiroth would make sure he was alright - he studied his emotional state. 

Cloud fidgeted, then turned to look at the other man on a huff when Zack refused to let go. "I'm sorry. I... wasn't really thinking."

"Spike... calm down." He shook his head. "Clustermess."


	7. Chapter 7

An'desha returned to his little Shin'a'in tent, ducking inside and feeling numb through and through. 

_:Thank you.:_ He followed the other man, brushing into the tent and staying near the doorway. "An'desha." Then, he settled, not infringing further into the space than the doorway. 

"...I almost killed him." The confession was pained, and scared. "When I saw that man kiss Firesong, and then Firesong responded, I wanted to _kill_ him!" A shiver raced through his body. 

He considered that, then moved forward and lightly touched his arm, lips quirking in a very dry way. "That does happen. That new Companion is... apparently holding the soul of Zack's prior lover. I can't say I'm sorry to see her lacking a human body now." He twisted to peer into the other man's feline eyes. "You're still your own kind of predator and you're not immune to jealousy. Did you want to keep Firesong for always?"

"But why would he want anyone else?" he asked, confused. "And...I don't know." He ducked his head, breaking the gaze. 

"Why wouldn't he? Have you decided you're the only desirable creature he's ever encountered?" He tilted his head, leaning on his hand to peer up into his face. "I've seen that he's much like Zack. He won't abandon you even if his heart isn't only yours." He sat back slightly, then undid his bracer to release the last ribbon he had there. Blue, black, and threads of purple. He put the bracer back on. "Perhaps not the best circumstance... But perhaps so." He took the man's hand and pressed the silk across it. "Remember that everyone has more than one part to who they are."

He flushed with embarrassment, the words hitting hard. "No, I just..." He didn't know what. The offer of the ribbon was a good diversion, though. He took it, confused at the gesture. He'd seen the ribbons that Sephiroth and Zack both sported now, of course. And Vianna had several now too. But why him? "What does this mean?"

He ran his fingers across it. "The colors mean different things." He turned his head slightly. "The ones between me and Zack are lighter and obvious. He started the courting ribbons and I decided to accept." He quirked his lips in a wry way. "It's not all they can mean of course, but it's their primary meaning, or an indication of closeness or trust." He curled his fingers over the ribbon he'd given him. "My primary colors are yellow and orange. Nonelemental things and fire. Blue is ice. Black is protection. In this case. And purple is water." He glanced sideways at him. "You put me in mind of purple." 

He fingered it lightly, studying the play of colors. Subdued, but still elegant."...who was that man?" It was a sudden subject change, but he couldn't get his mind away from it. 

"His name is Cloud Strife. He... He's not the same as I last saw him. Apparently he's from several years forward had Zack and I not arrived here." He looked off that direction. "And I couldn't tell anything but truth out of what he said, unfortunately. Which means I was rather close to doing horrible things."

An'desha was quiet for a moment, and then shook his head. "But you won't be doing those things now. The events have been altered." 

"No, I won't. Though I have a far better understanding than I think I like of exactly what happened." He shook his head slightly and made himself do something about that connection. He didn't think the blond even realized he was projecting him like this. _:Vianna, close me off from Cloud now... I can't really bring myself to do it on my own.:_

_:Of course,:_ she said reassuringly, sliding a heavier shield between the two to help close them off. Then she returned her attention to the conversation in front of her, where Aeris was trying to explain how she'd transitioned Cloud - and, inadvertently, herself - across to this world. 

_:...but I don't know why I'm stuck here as well. There was supposed to be a different personality here,:_ she finished, frustrated. _:I didn't...I didn't think I_ could _stay here.:_

Firesong's attention was distracted, constantly glancing over toward An'desha's tent instead of paying attention to the story. 

Sephiroth slumped slightly in relief. "And now I'm not going to be getting any more of that." He grimaced. "Cloud was practically throwing his memories at me of the things that happened to him, _from my point of view_." He shook his head. "How are you going to keep the ribbon? I wasn't sure how well you would take it. Or if you would at all." 

"Ah. If they stay with you, I...might be able to help." He knew about blocking off unwanted memories, or at least putting them at a remove. He then ran his hands through his hair thoughtfully, looking down at the ribbon. "Is there a way I'm supposed to wear it?" He was keeping it - he knew that. 

He moved over, studying his hair. "It's just rousing up childhood nightmares is all, so it's making it more disconcerting." He reached out to run his fingertips over his hair. "No particular way really, just plainly visible... if that's what you'd like to do?" He glanced to meet his eyes. 

"I- yes." And the faintest touch of a blush brushed over his cheeks. "Could you help?" He was no Tayledras, who could braid something into his or hair one-handed, in the day, without looking. He held the ribbon out to him. 

He gave him a small, almost shy smile and inclined his his head, taking the ribbon and considering him for a moment before collecting a handful of hair near his face and twisting the ribbon around the top portion of that, tying that off before starting to braid the length into a braid down over the rest of his hair. It had been a thinner ribbon after all. 

An'desha held still under Sephiroth's hands, eyes closed as he waited patiently. Sephiroth finally reached the end of the hair and freed up enough ribbon to tie off that end too, then ran his fingers down the length of hair. An'desha reached up to take the lock of hair and ribbon in his own hand, studying the collection. He watched him intently, waiting to see what he thought of that. 

An'desha ran his fingers over it again, then glanced up to Sephiroth with a shy smile. "Thank you." 

He deeply inclined his head. "No reason for thanks." 

He blinked at Sephiroth. "I think so. This is a very kind gift," he added, petting the ribbon again. 

He looked back to him and shook his head quickly. "I just... wanted to be clear, no kindness in that. More selfishness really." 

He frowned a little, confused. "How is it selfish?" 

"I gave you something typically considered as a courting gift, which I made well before you had any problems with someone I knew you were with. That's selfish of me." 

"But you said it's also a gift that means closeness or trust." 

He nodded at once. "It is. Especially as those aren't my primary colors." 

"So why are you feeling selfish about it?" He gave him a little smile. "I don't see a problem." 

He unclasped his hands and rested them firmly on the ground, watching him. "Because I mean it to fullest extent." He didn't give him enough lull to say anything. "If... anything, just let me know?" 

"I-" An'desha blinked, and then blushed, ducking his head with a shy, almost disbelieving smile. "Oh. Thank you..." 

He nodded, relaxing slightly as that certainly wasn't a bad reaction. "I was... worried you would be unhappy with the sentiment." 

"It's just...aside from Firesong, no one's ever wanted to court me," he said, embarrassed. "And I wasn't interested either, even after I realized I was _she'chorne_." 

He looked sideways at him and nodded slightly. "I understand that feeling. I assume she'chorne is a phrase for of like gender?" He paused, smoothing his fingers over the lighter than normal material on his legs. "Are you at all interested?" 

An'desha nodded, blushing slightly. "I...yes, I think I would be. I don't know how much Firesong would be comfortable with, but if he's okay..." 

He nodded at once. "I know Zack is fine." He waved a hand slightly, relaxing more obviously. "Though now I'll actually mention it to him." He was embarrassed by that bit. "I wanted to be sure you accepted it before bringing the matter up." 

"It makes sense," he said, still blushing and fingering the ribbon. 

He nodded slightly, then hesitated, leaning in and taking a deep breath. "I do warn you I'm not very ah, experienced." 

"I-" He hesitated. "I've only ever been with Firesong. Before- Well. I'm a mixed-blood, so no one wanted me, and then-" He stopped, shaking his head. Falconsbane had had plenty of experience, but he didn't want to think of it. 

He reached up and ran his fingertips down his cheek. "Then things better not mentioned just now." His lips quirked slightly in a little bit of irony. "For the most part I.... couldn't. Anyone outside SOLDIER just... I couldn't." He grimaced. "Though I haven't found that sharp aversion with you, or, oddly, most of those mages I've met." 

He frowned thoughtfully. "It...might be the magic," he offered. "You seem to be very sensitive to it in general. Firesong is, and he has a very similar sort of magic to you." 

"I might be. I was steeped in Mako before I was ever born. I just know, well, normal people cause a rather physical adverse reaction. At least when I attempted to go into those matters." He nodded slightly. "So I felt I should forewarn you I suppose." 

He nodded, giving him the shy smile again. "Thank you. I- I'm glad I don't cause the same reaction." 

"So am I." He petted his cheek a little more, leaning in and taking a deeper breath. "In fact, I find your scent rather appealing." 

There was the blush again, but he didn't pull away from Sephiroth's closeness. "I just smell like horse..." At least right now he did. 

He shook his head a little and leaned in closer, taking another deep breath. "No, it's there yes, but under that is your scent." 

"O-oh." The close proximity, and, well, he hadn't wanted to do this with anyone else, and... An'desha lifted his head just enough to brush a light little kiss across his lips. 

Sephiroth stilled, then leaned closer, not really pressing, but he couldn't not react when there wasn't any sudden flare of negative in his face and it was someone who already interested him. 

Embarrassment and a touch of shyness kept him from pressing it deeper, but it was very nice, and he pulled away with a content little sigh. Then a rather guilty thought occurred to him. "I should go apologize to Firesong." 

He sighed, reluctant to return to everyone else, but nodded slightly. "If you feel you should." 

"It's just...I was upset when that man, Cloud, kissed him. But I kissed you now, so I don't have any right to be upset." 

He nodded slightly, then ran his fingers over a strand of hair. "I've never seen Cloud initiate anything with anyone, so I can't say I understand what caused it, and I was standing there the entire time. I rather thought he was going to slug him instead, to be truthful. None of that means it's not upsetting to you, you were caught off guard, rights to upset or none." 

"But I know it _now_ ," he objected. "So I still should apologize, or at least let him know I'm not hurt any more." 

He nodded. "Don't apologize for things you don't regret, it loses meaning that way... but letting him know you're no longer upset isn't without consideration. I'll accompany you?" 

"But I _do_ regret acting like that," he said, but let it drop anyway. "Alright. And yes, please." 

Sephiroth got to his feet, then offered the other man his hands. An'desha took them, ducking his head until they were both out of his tent before he stood straight again. He considered him. "My secondary colors suit you I think." It was a murmur, and he squeezed his hands before releasing one so he could walk forward. 

"...thank you," he said softly as they headed toward the stairs to the _ekele_. Looking around though, he frowned. There was only the Companion stallion around, with no sign of the mare. "Where's Vianna?" 

"I'm not sure." He paused, frowning slightly. _:Vianna?_ : 

_:Yes?:_ Her mind-voice was calm, as per usual. 

_:Where did you go?:_

_:Just walking around the Field,:_ she said. _:With Aeris getting used to her new self, and you busy with An'desha, I figured I might as well.:_

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow. _:So you just decided to take a walk.:_ "She's claiming she was taking a walk." 

There was a pause, and then in a tone that frankly said, 'well _duh_ ' she added, _:As dear as you are to me, do you really think I'm_ that _interested in your love affairs? I'll help you set them up, but otherwise, I can get the details from you later.:_

"I don't really trust that's all there is to it." His voice was very dry as he looked to An'desha. "But I suppose I'll find out what else later." 

"Of course not," An'desha said, amused as they started up the steps.

* * *

Zack finally just sighed. "Aeris, sweetie, you're a dead girl from what you said. So, well. You really shouldn't be able to do most of the things you just said." 

Cloud patted Aeris' back, looking sideways at Firesong. "You want to go after him?" 

_:I'm also a Cetra,:_ she reminded him. _:And we've been able to do many things after death.:_

"Yes," he said softly, unaccustomed to - and disliking - his helplessness. Then he blinked, looking back at Aeris. "Cetra?" 

Zack blinked a few times, staring at Aeris. "You never told me that! You you, that's not fair babe. Is that why you and Seph would tag-team me to make sure you couldn't meet each other? And why you were so scared of SOLDIERs?" 

Cloud nodded slightly in understanding. "I only knew because the Turks were trying to abduct her just after we met, otherwise she might not have told me either." 

She simply nodded. _:That pretty much covers it. But... I couldn't tell you. I just couldn't. I'm sorry.:_ Then she glanced at the still-befuddled Firesong. _:The Cetra were a race of people on our world with a very close connection to the Planet. There's...quite a bit more behind it than that, though.:_

Zack just sighed softly. "You've been shown materia right? People say it's the memories of the Ancients. Or... Cetra." 

Firesong's gaze turned attentive on Aeris. 

Aeris simply looked calmly back at him. _:I'm sure you can figure it out on your own.:_

_:At least she's got 'serene, wise Companion' down already,:_ Vianna "whispered" to Zack. 

Cloud snorted softly. "She's never needed materia to do magic, healing magic anyway." He patted her shoulder. 

"She's the one that inspired my healing break." Zack flashed him a sheepish smile, then laughed. _:She sure does doesn't she? She's always been like that though.:_

"If you're like your friends, you don't actually need materia either," he said absently, though he was still contemplating the information. 

_:It's a good skill to have,:_ Vianna replied, amused. 

"Well, I still haven't quite gotten over the 'no materia' hurdle all the way yet. Well, outside healing anyway, I've been picking up that skill right fast from the teachers." Zack gave a wry smile.   
He watched him intently, waiting to see what he thought of that. 

"I was supposed to be working with you a bit on that today," Firesong reminded. 

He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, then Spike detoured the plan a bit I bet." 

"Hm. Slightly," he admitted, "but it was more when I decided that the both of you needed more appropriate clothing." 

Zack blinked, then laughed. "Point. Speaking of, Spike, what do you think? I look good?" 

Cloud blinked a few times, then eyed him. "...I didn't even notice the clothes." 

Firesong recovered admirably, offering a wide-eyed, stunned look. "You didn't notice? I'm shocked! Obviously, you'll simply have to serve as an advisor to ensure that I can create a suitably eye-catching outfit for our dear friend." Considering the situation, a mild distraction for all three of them probably wouldn't go amiss. 

Cloud blinked. "Um, I don't think I'm the best person for fashion... I mean, I've been wearing this outfit for nearly two years, and this shirt style longer." He plucked at it, then paused, resting his hand over his arm as he realized something. "Aeris did you...?" He turned so the others couldn't see then went to look at his arm. It still ached some but not as bad. He doubted it was gone but maybe? No. 

"Then I'll have to do something for you as well! No," he paused, and sighed. "I think I'll have to ask Darkwind as well. His sense of the appropriate is rather subdued, but he can help with the basics at least." 

Aeris leaned forward to touch Cloud's arm, her breath warm. _:It's okay.:_ She wouldn't have brought him here and left that unattended. _:The Healers here can help take care of the last of the physical effects from it on your body.:_

He relaxed and turned back to Firesong. "Well, Zack always liked showing off so I guess you can work on him." 

"I insist on being able to give you a few gifts as well," Firesong said sternly to the blond. He could already see him in some of the clothing he had around. 

Cloud rubbed his arm a bit. "Well, if you really have to." He grumbled something under his breath and gave Aeris a _look_. 

"I do insist," he said, hooking his arm around Cloud's and guiding him back toward the stairs. "If my ladies will excuse me?" 

Zack patted Aeris between her ears, then turned to head after the other two. "Poor Spike. You don't have to look like you're caught in headlights." 

Cloud scowled over his shoulder. "C'mere and say that." He wasn't fighting the tug though. 

"Oh, I intend to find something else for him to wear as well. As nice as that outfit is, I'm certain that I can find something else for him," Firesong said airily, guiding the blond up the steps. 

Zack laughed. "That works for me." He followed them back inside. "Unlike Seph, I haven't rejected every piece of clothing that's come near me since I got here. Speaking of, you think we can get someone to steal his clothes while he's left them unattended? I know a couple people have tried, but he kept wandering around our rooms naked and scared them off." 

He tossed Zack an amused look. "They're unattended _now_ , aren't they?" 

"Exactly, thus the whole idea." He flashed a grin. "I just know if we hide them in here until he has a chance to get back here he'll find them though, he's uncanny like that." 

"Ah, very true." Firesong paused and looked back down the stairs. "I wonder if his Companion would be willing to help...my lady?" 

Vianna offered the Companion equivalent of a shrug. _:It'd be entertaining if nothing else. And all of you could safely say you don't know where they are.:_

"I can toss em down to you if you want Vianna." 

Cloud looked at Zack sideways. "It's very weird to talk about stealing Sephiroth's clothes, you know that right?" 

_:He deserves it,:_ Vianna said, careful to keep Sephiroth _out_ of this particular loop of conversation. _:If you don't voluntarily choose at least a few more outfits, I'm sure Aeris will help me steal yours, too. But yes, please do that, Zack. Then go inside with Firesong and Cloud for a while.:_

Cloud grimaced. "I am never leaving Aeris in charge of my clothing ever again." 

_:You won't have to worry about that if you just make sure to diversify things,:_ Aeris replied warmly. 

Firesong smiled cheerfully at him. "Don't worry! I'm sure I can find plenty of things that will accentuate your appearance." 

"I don't need to accentuate." He huffed softly. 

"Ah, but you're already lovely. With the right clothing, or accessories, you'll be the sort to cause Bards to flock around you at each opportunity," he purred back at Cloud. 

He looked a bit chagrined. "I don't need any more stories about me!" 

"I can't let you hide yourself forever," he said, attempting sternness. "It would be a great disservice to yourself, not to mention everyone else." Me, he meant, but didn't say. 

Cloud scowled, turning it on Zack for a second when he heard a snicker as the man came back from doing off with Seph's clothes to Vianna. "No it wouldn't! I don't need prettied up!" 

"True, you're already quite pretty," he said serenely. "That's not going to stop me, though!" With that he dragged Cloud inside, perfectly prepared to "help" him along should it be necessary. 

Vianna nodded to Aeris, Sephiroth's clothes secure under her blanket for now, and headed out at an easy amble for the other side of the Companion's Field. 

Cloud grimaced and shook his head. "I am not _pretty_." 

"Lovely, then. Attractive, quite so. Handsome. Shall I give you more descriptors that fit you?" 

Zack grinned as Cloud flushed. "Ohhh, now he goes and gets all shy- Ack!" He ducked with Cloud tried to thump him. 

He took the opportunity to let Zack distract Cloud while he got to work looking through his clothing, both the things he'd discarded as well as those he hadn't yet looked at. 

Zack nimbly ducked another swipe, then caught the blond around the middle. "Oh come on, you don't really wanna hurt little ol me!" 

"Wanna bet?" He bopped him on top of the head lightly. 

Soft muttering was the only sign of Firesong's involvement in the current situation as he selected and discarded various choices, finally settling on a pair of outfits - one for Cloud, and another a different option for Zack. 

Zack glanced over, rubbing the top of his head. "How goes the hunting?" 

"Hm, I think I'm ready. For you," and he handed the second pile over, "and for you," he said, proffering the first selection to Cloud with a little bow. 

Zack smiled, dropped a kiss on Cloud's cheek, then ducked out of the hold to look at the things he'd been presented with. 

Cloud was casting a slightly confused look after Zack, then looked to Firesong, hesitantly taking the clothes. "I don't need anything new yet you know." 

Firesong raised an eyebrow. "Your point?" 

Cloud didn't know how to react to that, and hesitantly looked at the clothes. 

"Go on," he said, gesturing him to put them on. "I expect to see how they fit you." 

Cloud hesitated, running his fingers over his covered arm before bracing himself to strip enough to change. Hopefully neither of them would notice the marks... 

Firesong watched with appreciative eyes, but managed not to leer like a boor. The way Cloud stood as he changed kept the marks on his arm hidden for now, but the fact that he did his best to keep that arm away from him niggled at something in his mind. 

Zack eyed the way Cloud was turning his body, a little worried himself at the why behind it. Was he hurt? 

Cloud started tugging on the new clothes, hopping just a little as his foot got tangled in the pants. 

He reached out to help balance him, and drew in his breath in surprise as the new angle showed what looked a little bit like a bruise...and in reality was far more, on Cloud's left arm. "What... _ke'chara_ , what is this?" 

Cloud tensed, shifting so that the arm was away from them both as he felt two pair of rather too intense eyes. "What's what?" 

"The corruption on your arm," he said sternly, studying it with Mage Sight now that he knew it was there, no matter that Cloud tried to hide it. 

Cloud pressed his lips together and held up a hand to ward off Zack before _he_ could get started too. "Aeris said the healers could get rid of it so it's no big deal." 

"Mm-hm," Firesong said absently, glancing up contemplatively at Zack. "Come here," he said, pulling the other man closer. "You've gotten better at activating your healing, even if you have to do it in battle, but much of it seems to happen when associated with your friends. With your Aeris here, and working with your friend Cloud, can you heal _out_ of combat?" It wasn't a confrontational tone. And no matter how much he wanted to heal Cloud himself, he had to at least try to get Zack to do it. 

"I've been picking healing up quicker than magic without materia." It was a mutter as he brought a hand up. "It's the Limits I can't get a handle on. But just healing I think I can do." 

Seph paused at the doorway, noticing the huddle. 

"Go ahead," he said firmly, watching closely. 

An'desha paused as well, eyeing the scene but staying quiet. Firesong had his teaching expression on, which meant that it was best to stay out of the way for now. 

Cloud eyed them. "Materia didn't work on it." 

Zack blinked, glancing to Cloud before nodding and turning his attention towards gathering up that other sense of healing he knew. It felt a little different but... it just felt different, and wasn't near so hard to try to gather as his Limit was. He moved a hand to rest over the discolored skin, focusing on fixing what caused it.


	8. Chapter 8

"This isn't materia," Firesong said calmly, looking at him and smiling reassuringly. "It's something completely different, I assure you." 

Cloud shifted uneasily. "Aeris pointed that out yeah. But Zack?" 

Zack just grinned, but didn't lose his focus, as he had been practicing this some. He ran his hand over the discolorations carefully as he untwisted what had made it that way. Okay, and this was _tiring_. He slowly pulled his hand back. "Think I got it." 

"He has the Healing Gift," he said absently, still watching Zack's manipulations of the fine energy in Cloud's body, chasing away the last of the disease. Then he nodded approvingly. "Not as elegant as a fully-trained Healer would have done, but not bad. How tired are you?" 

Cloud twisted a little and prodded at his arm. "You actually managed to make it stop." He blinked, then flashed Zack a wry smile. 

Zack smiled back brightly and moved over to his clothes to fish in a pocket, "Fairly, but I'm not all that surprised." He pulled one of his new ethers. Time for a test spin. And score! It worked as well as he thought it would. "I so wiiiin." 

Sephiroth blinked, then eyed the bottle in Zack's hand. "How many of those do you have left Zack?" He finally moved out of the doorway so An'desha could come in too. 

Firesong stared at the now-empty bottle, and then at Zack. "...what is that?" 

An'desha stayed toward the entrance, slightly uncomfortable now, but equally curious about the...the whatever it was. 

Cloud turned his attention to getting the rest of clothing on, not really caring so long as he was covered now thanks. 

Zack wiggled the bottle in a slow back and forth. "Many as I want." 

"Explain." Sephiroth moved over at that and took the bottle. "I know you didn't have many when we got here." 

"Figured out how to make theeeem." Zack grinned widely then, pleased with himself. 

"What _are_ they?" Firesong asked more firmly, expression oddly blank. Even the prospect of Cloud getting undressed and then dressed again didn't distract him. 

Sephiroth immediately set to fishing in Zack's clothes so he could do a comparison. 

Zack blinked, then turned to face Firesong. "Oh! Right. Ether." He gave Cloud a wide grin. "See, I can be clever." 

"And an ether is...?" 

Sephiroth had found one and dug around to see if he couldn't find an old one. Most of his things were in his room after all. 

"Magic restorative. And my version tastes a damn sight better than the ones from back home too. Dunno if it works without being drunk like those though... I haven't exactly had anyone throw one at me yet." 

Cloud got clothes in place, then moved over, with a sort of cautious sideways approach, to take one of the three that Sephiroth had pulled out to open one and smell it. They were fairly small bottles. "Smells different too. What level of Ether do they feel about? Normal, mega? And have you started in on elixirs yet?" 

"What the- how? How does something like that work?" The nonchalant attitude that the three were displaying irked him. A _magic restorative_? The only thing that worked like that that _he_ knew of was tapping into a ley line, or a node, or a Heartstone, and you certainly didn't _drink_ those! 

Cloud tossed one over to Firesong. "Ether." 

Zack blinked at the man in confusion. "It's a little hard to work out, but it just, y'know, restores you. Elixirs are even better and nah Spike I gotta get the basics _first_ and the healer crew are still picking at potions. Once we all figure that one out then we can move it up." 

Sephiroth shook his head and looked over to An'desha. "Would you like to look at these too?" 

He caught it stared down at it in frustration. "But _how_? Magic is magic, there shouldn't be a way to store it in a bottle!" 

"...maybe." Something was twitching in Falconsbane's memories, which pretty much meant he didn't want to think about it. 

"You don't store magic in a bottle." Zack made a confused noise. "You have to use a little magic to make em, yeah, that was my sticky point, but I figured it out, and you just modify the herbs and stuff used and they y'know, kick your natural power back up to however much. Some do it all the way, like elixirs, but I need potions first for that." 

He looked over and tilted his head, then offered An'desha his hand. "Then come look. It's not dangerous." 

"That shouldn't be possible," he insisted, still looking it over. "Stimulants, yes, to keep awake, but magic is a finite thing. If you restore reserves, they need to come from _somewhere_." 

"It's not the...ether, that I'm concerned about," he said softly. 

"Of course, it's possible. You have one in your hand!" He leaned over and waved a hand. "I mean, it's not like everyone isn't connected to planet in some fashion or another, otherwise what would your soul do when it died? Magic is only finite in how much a person can use at a time, not what they _have_. It's a trap you can fall into I bet if you think that way. So, it just replenishes you from what you can't access at any given time, and there ya go. I don't advise using things like that in place of _sleep_ but it's been known ta happen. It'll just hit you all at once later if you do that like it would with casting and potions, y'know?" 

He studied him a moment. "You don't need to worry right now." He inclined his head slightly. "Though if you insist I can hardly stop you, of course." 

Firesong twitched. Several times. 

An'desha paused, then eyed Firesong. "That's the other reason." 

Zack clasped his hands and gave Firesong a bright smile. "See? So there ya go." 

Cloud eyed Firesong. "Are you alright?" 

Sephiroth paused, eyeing the man himself. "I wouldn't worry, Zack will keep him distracted." 

"Magic is _finite_ ," he said calmly. "There is only a certain amount that one person can hold - that's obvious to anyone who can use Mage Sight. More than that, Journeyman-level mages are _experts_ in how to use their personal energy, as that is all that they have access to, aside from the smaller power flows from living things or bargains with other-Planar being." 

An'desha edged away slowly. 

Sephiroth made an amused noise and moved over to An'desha instead, offering him the bottle in his hand at the doorway. 

"No, it's not! If magic was finite then how would you ever manage to recover if you used it all, huh? Explain that!" 

"Magic flows _everywhere_! It is flowing constantly! I never said that it does not replenish, simply that it does not replenish as quickly as that! Were mages not able to recover after spending all of their energy, then they would not exist at all, as we would have all died from shock long ago!" Illusion spun light into being, shaping a fine net. " _All_ living creatures create energy, and put it forth. At that basic level, only mages used to working with earth energy are capable of using it, but it doesn't have much power." The web pulled out a ways, showing where the trickles came together. "It flows something like water, coming together to form rivulets that gradually grow larger and larger, and more powerful, until they form streams that can be tapped by Master-level mages or higher." Pulled back further. "When those streams, ley-lines, come together, they form a knot of power called a node. This is wild energy. Some schools of magic form a communal pool that anyone of the school can draw from, but that is quiet, tamed energy that every mage in the school adds to whenever they have energy to spare." 

An'desha took it absently, dismissing the lecture from his attention. He knew it all anyway. 

"Hey, that looks kinda like lifestream, but flimsier." He flashed him a grin. "I wonder if your guys' is just weaker or if it's buried or sommat. and you said magic was finite then said it wasn't, make up your mind." 

Cloud rubbed his forehead. "Just give an ether a try at some point and it would explain itself." 

Sephiroth shook his head. "Magic is apparently taught different ways." 

"It _is_ finite," he sighed. "As it is gained and used, so does the excess trickle away into the Void, where it is simple, chaotic energy. And then all living things draw on it once more, bringing it back into the world to be re-used. Energy cannot be created or destroyed - it simply exists in different forms." Then he glanced over at Cloud. "And should my magic be drained low enough to need to be replenished, it's simple enough for me to tap into a ley-line, a node, or a Heartstone that I am keyed to. At the moment, the Heartstone beneath Haven is more than powerful enough to be drawn on." 

"Things have changed over time," An'desha said softly. "Ethers could be something from before the Mage Wars, or something that was lost in the intervening time period." 

Zack rolled his eyes. "And how is that different? I mean, seriously. Sides, not everyone can tap a line now can they? And it'll be good for healers to have ethers especially if anything ever comes up, right?" Zack grinned. "And what's to say you'll always be able to touch those lines anyway? I've never been able to, and the only person I ever met who could feel better without something was Aeris, but she's special anyway. I mean, dude, flowers in Midgar. _Nothing_ grows in Midgar." 

"I still haven't quite gotten fully caught up on my history, but I know that Ethers came after most of the Ancients died millenia ago." 

That got Zack a dry look. "While there are areas where ley lines are sparse, my range is long enough that I've never had to worry. Also, as Tayledras, we work with the support of the Vale and Heartstone behind us. If there aren't any ley-lines in the area, we _make_ them, or at least move all of the local lines to a more convenient place for our use." 

Zack crossed his arms. "So? What if that just, I dunno, stopped working? What if you got drugged in a way that blocked it off from your senses? Or you got hit with a spell that drained you down and blocked you from your normal routes? This stuff _happens_." 

"Magic does not simply _stop working_. And as to the others, I _know_ that it happens. It simply is not anything that would be as much of a concern to me, due to the fact that I am a Healing Adept. Were I in a place where such a thing could happen, a large number of people in my Clan would be there as well, and should someone attack me in such a way, they would shortly be dead." 

"Healing Adepts are the most valuable resource a Clan has," An'desha said softly. "Falconsbane knew that. He _wanted_ Firesong, to corrupt and use him, but he knew that it would be almost impossible to get to him at all, much less to corrupt him." 

"Maybe. Magic is life though." He rolled a shoulder. "I'd show you Midgar if I could. You'd never be able to do what you say you do there without it doin you more harm than good I bet. Hell, it made _me_ sick when I first got there and I'm not all that sensitive to that stuff. If you say it's not a concern, I'll believe you til it is, but don't go turning your nose up at it like a prissy priss." 

Sephiroth nodded slightly. "People with healing affinities in SOLDIER tended to be better ah, shielded than most as well. I never have asked what a Clan is like though. Tell me sometime?" 

"If it was anywhere as drained as Hardorn was, I would become physically ill, and utterly ineffective. Thus, I wouldn't _go_ there," he said, frustrated. "Unless there was some way to heal it, in which case I would go as often and for as long as it took to Heal the land. That is what I _do_. I know, more than any of you, that magic is life." Firesong's eyes were cold suddenly, and he turned away. 

"...Zack, may I speak with you for a minute?" An'desha stared steadily at the SOLDIER. 

Zack sighed and looked over. "You gonna yell at me too?" He walked over willingly enough. "Cause I can telI hit a nerve." 

"I just need to explain some things." He took him by the arm and pulled him toward his room, decorated in brightly-colored, pinned-up silks that Firesong thought made it all look like the inside of a tent. "Firesong is a Healing Adept. I'm not entirely sure that you really understand what that is." He took a deep breath, nervous, but willing to make this stand if he needed to, because Firesong wouldn't. 

"Judging by the reactions, prolly not." He went along, leaving the others as Sephiroth decided it was likely best to stay put. 

"It's more than being more powerful than the average mage, or being able to access energy sources at the base of the world. It's..." He paused, looking for the right words. "Healing Adepts are prized by the Tayledras because they don't Heal people - they Heal the _land_. The world around them. They've got a deeper connection to the energy of the land, so that they can sense what is healthy and what isn't, and more than that, do things to fix that. He can take the ills of the land onto himself if he has to, at least long enough to figure out what's causing the corruption. And considering the Goddess gave the Tayledras the mission to cleanse the corruption of magic in the world, this makes him and other Healing Mages _invaluable_." An'desha paced a few steps back and forth, then looked back to Zack. "He'd never left his home Vale before he came to k'Sheyna to help them with their rogue Heartstone. And then, instead of going back to k'Treva, their Gate was highjacked and they were pulled to northern Valdemar, and then he got embroiled in training the various Heralds and then went over to Hardorn to finally kill Falconsbane. While there, he had to deal with what Ancar had done to the land itself. He'd drained it, and the people. There was no order to the magic at all. Over half the population was _dead_ because Ancar had drafted them into his armies and then used terrible blood-magics to bind them to him and strip their minds. And Firesong felt _all_ of it. But he kept going." He urged Zack to understand, at least a bit. 

He considered that quietly for a moment. "Alright." He gave him a small smile. "I didn't misunderstand so much then. And I'm glad he's got someone out there to protect him, cause I took a liking to him and wouldn't care to see him hurt because he didn't consider something obvious to me. That's all _I_ was trying to get across. Then it got all twisted up into something else cause he wasn't fathoming me and I was confused at him." He shook his head, studying him. "Sides, should I have been saying welcome to you anyway and avoided the whole thing?" 

An'desha relaxed with a relieved smile. "Trust me, he knows now. I don't think he did before then, but he knows now." He sighed softly. "Thank you for listening. I just...well, he's touchy." 

"I'm used to that." He waved a hand. "You have no idea how often I've made Seph mad at me cause I said something he found stupid." He shook his head and grimaced. "At least me and Firesong are getting along already, yeah? Makes it hella easier to recover from me being a bit overzealous. I was just proud of my Ether's y'know? And he just refused to get it. Made me grumpy, cause that's a huge deal, I never do anything spiffy like _that_." He then flashed him a grin, leaning in and running a finger down the braided in ribbon, lowering his voice some so Seph couldn't catch it. "Maybe you'll know how to handle some of this stuff better than I do too." 

"Give him a bit," he said reassuringly. "He'll come around, and be as eager as anyone to figure it out." Then when Zack leaned in close and touched the ribbon, he blushed, eyes widening. Oh. Right. 

"Good to hear." Zack studied the ribbon and his smile was wry, voice still low. "Looks like he trusts you pretty well if he used his secrets for you." He straightened up and flashed a grin. "Glad he finally listened and found someone though. Just means I have to try harder hmm?" 

His expression was was still embarrassed, but confused. "His secrets...?" Reflexively he kept his own voice just as low. 

Zack nodded and fiddled with the braid a little again, studying it. "Private colors, instead of public ones. He uses the Wutian color system, I use the Gongaga one. For me, colors are colors. In Wutai, every layer of color seems to have a deeper honor meaning when they're used like this. I don't know the details, but it seems that's how he's goin about it." He smiled slightly. "So just be good to him eh? I haven't seen him actually go after anyone before." 

An'desha blinked, and then frowned a bit. "You...you're acting like he doesn't want you too." 

Zack rolled a shoulder. "We've only ever gotten so far, and he's just... I don't know if he'll ever want to go past a certain point, with me. I'd like to think so though." He sighed. "I've been trying to get him to believe I really feel that way for two years, though I guess my encouraging him didn't much help." He rubbed the back of his head. I'm pretty sure he has no idea what to do with me to be honest with ya and I don't wanna push it." 

"He wouldn't leave you," he said firmly. "He does love you, I know it. Even if he's unsure about making the first move." 

He gave him a wry smile. "I know. He's Seph." He spread his hands. "I know some people call me the one between us who gets all loyal and protective, but most of those people never see Seph once he gets it in his head he's decided someone is worth it." He ran a finger down the braid again, considering it. "He got left behind, once, by the people he cared about most. He tasked me with tryng to get them to come back. I know he forgave me for that mess but..." He rolled a shoulder. "I still think somewhere in there he doesn't fully believe I won't abandon _him_ too. It's not like he ever had a family and all." 

Slowly he reached up, and touched the ribbon braided into Zack's hair. "He doesn't believe that." 

Zack gave him a wry smile. "Not on purpose, no. I try to make sure he doesn't need to feel that way. Persistently and most annoyingly I might add." 

"So you don't need to believe that either." 

Zack was quiet for a moment, then laughed softly and took his hand to give it a squeeze between both of his own. "I think I like you. He picked good." 

An'desha blushed, but still smiled a little. "Thank you." 

He blinked, then laughed, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Yeah, you're definitely cute. I can see why Seph figures out how to creep off and spend so much time with you now. Y'know you've been seeing him more than I have in the last couple months?" He shook his head. "But I've been busy so I guess I can't talk." He leaned in conspiratorially. "I also have no doubt he'll he poking after me to work on elixirs and maybe even Phoenix downs now that he knows I've got the head for that stuff." He rolled his eyes. "Ever the practical General eh? You wouldn't happen to be good on helping with that stuff? The folks in blue help out with ideas when I need em, and maybe if you spent more time with me, I'd get to spend more time with him yeah?" He shook his head. "Though I can admit that now I'm just poutin. I'm spoiled." 

An'desha blinked at the burst of words. "Um. I...suppose so?" 

Zack nodded, then grinned. "Awesome. I mean, hell, do you do magic? You look like you do magic, but it's hard to say sometimes. I have a really good guage on that stuff most days, it seriously helped when I was teachin folk." He waved one hand around before putting it back on An'desha's. "Though it's weird being dumped back to student status so far. I mean, I'm eighteen. I haven't been a student for like, two years. Three years? Since I made First anyway." 

He nodded slowly. "I...have magic. Firesong is helping me to re-learn how to use it." 

"If I can do anything to help too, let me know? I mean. I do magic different, but, well, yeah." He flashed a smile. "Right?" 

He offered a short nod. "Thank you. A lot of what I'm doing right now _is_ learning how to do magic differently. Properly." 

He gave him a wry grin. "Well, I have an idea. I'll teach you what they teach me and you can correct what you see up with me that doesn't make sense, and you can teach me what he teaches you and vice versa, like study practice. What'cha think?" 

He blinked at Zack, slightly nervous. "I...I don't know. Maybe?" 

Zack grinned at him, then squeezed his hand. "It'll be great, you help me, I help you, and Seph helps us both cause gods alone know he was doing some of this stuff before! He used to mess with the weather back home sometimes." 

An'desha blinked in surprise. "But weather magic isn't difficult." 

"Considering he was the only one I'd ever seen do it before I got here?" he quirked an eyebrow. "I still fumble at it. I'm better with the healing stuff and the more sparkly magics from what I can tell." 

"I...alright." He nodded slowly, unsure about the prospect of helping to _teach_ someone when he was still trying to figure out how it all worked without relying on Falconsbane's twisted memories. 

Zack gave him a brilliant smile. "Thanks! I always learn better when I can show someone else what I'm doing who's learnin too. We gonna go back? also, I'm guessing you haven't got a chance at flashin your ribbon at your guy yet have ya?" 

"What? No, I...that wasn't the point," he said, touching the ribbon. "I don't want to- I mean, it isn't supposed to _taunt_ him or anything. And I still have his feather..." The other hand touched the white feathers braided into the hair on the other side, still glittering faintly even though they didn't drip false sparks any longer. 

He blinked a couple times. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant saying something. Some people are weird about polygamy. I mean, it's common in a lot of areas, but the ones from the mountain towns were kinda weird about it. Wasn't sure what areas got weird about it here." He rolled a shoulder. "I don't know either of you that well y'know." He shifted slightly, then bounced on his heels once. 

"The Shin'a'in, my people, are generally acceptant of it. I just...don't know about the Tayledras, is all," he said, but the discomfort was still there, if hidden. 

Zack tilted his head, then kissed the back of his hand. "Well, no matter what, welcome to the relationship. You may not have any interest in me like you do in Seph... but that doesn't mean you can't talk to me too, yeah?" He smiled. "Since some way up it's a family being put together." 

He blinked, and then nodded slowly. Like a tiny Clan, here in this weird kingdom. It was more of an extention of the idea that he and Firesong had started here with the Kaled'a'in delegation and Darkwind. "Thank you." He stood again. "You're right, though. We should probably get back to the others soon." 

He smiled and got to his feet. "Nothing else to tell me before we go back then? No warnings to be nice to your boytoy?" 

"Firesong?" He snorted. "Aside from a very, _very_ few topics, he's perfectly capable of defending himself." 

He flashed him a grin and started for the door. "I just wanted to be sure an all." 

An'desha followed after Zack down the hallway into Firesong's room, pausing at the situation. There was an odd feel to it all.

* * *

Cloud looked after the two as they left. "He wasn't trying to be mean you know. That's just not how Zack works." 

Sephiroth snorted softly. "You really don't know the extent of it Cloud. He used to be very immature." He tilted his head slightly. "And it sounds like the situation isn't completely different. You're a good man Firesong, and apparently a strong one. I think all he needed to hear was that you already knew." 

"I understand that he meant no harm," Firesong said quietly. "I truly do." 

"He's thick sometimes. And you got him a bit worried." Sephiroth rolled a shoulder and shook his head. "It's been made clear to him now." 

Cloud sighed and rested a hand on Firesong's arm tentatively. 

Firesong turned at the touch, meeting Cloud's eyes, almost startled. 

Cloud tilted his head slightly, holding the eye contact. "It's alright now?" 

"...yes." Firesong nodded after a few seconds, relaxing some. "It's alright. Thank you." 

Cloud nodded slightly and lifted his hand away. "Alright." 

There was a pang as Cloud pulled his hand away, and he turned to face him fully, catching his hand again. "Ah- Let me look at you now," he said, guiding his arm out to the side so that he could see Cloud in the Tayledras garments. 

Cloud blinked a couple times and shifted in place awkwardly as he remembered what he was wearing. "...Alright." 

Firesong's eyes sparkled in renewed pleasure as he studied Cloud. "Yes. Yes, that's quite a nice look on you." 

Cloud shifted in place again, then ducked his head. "I'll take your word for it." 

Firesong turned to the side, smiling cheerfully. "What do you think, Sephiroth?" 

Sephiroth ran his eyes over Cloud, who, if anything, looked more uncomfortable. "They fit him well. I'm also fairly sure they'll try to get him into those whites of theirs as quick as possible judging by their efforts with me, your taste notwithstanding."

"Whites? No, neither of you." He shook his head. " _Most_ of the Heralds don't look quite right in Whites, and the style! So plain." 

Sephiroth snorted softly as Cloud gave him the eye again. "You have a big white companion now Cloud, thus the locals feel obligated to stick you in white clothes to match." 

"....that's so stupid." 

"It truly is. I mean..." He sighed, in concession. "Granted, I can understand the use of a uniform with regular Heralds, and they may as well match their Companions, but I doubt either of you are going to be 'normal' Heralds." 

That got a snort from then both, then an arched eyebrow from Sephiroth and a scowl from Cloud. Cloud sighed first. "Okay, I will attempt to stop being so paranoid about you." He pointed at Sephiroth. "But I don't guarantee _anything_." 

Sephiroth just nodded once and looked back to Firesong. "So what are the options when one isn't normal that you've seen?" 

"Mostly it's Kero and Alberich who don't wear Whites, but you'll notice that both of them are also from outside of the Kingdom, and prefer to avoid the 'oh-shoot-me-now' uniforms. Mostly they wear dark grey." 

Sephiroth nodded. "They're good people. I wouldn't care but the whites they've been trying to give me... aren't of materials I like." He rolled a shoulder. "To say nothing of white just not being my mindset out of the field." 

Cloud just looked from one to the other, puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

Firesong turned to him with bright silver eyes. "What's confusing right now?" 

Cloud sighed. "First, why would they stick me in white clothes at all... second, what's the problem with that? It's not like anyone could hit me anyway." 

Sephiroth sighed. "Wutian colors Cloud." 

_:Because of me,:_ Aeris said, finally stepping in. _:Because I'm in the shape of a Companion, beings that are all but sacred to the people of this kingdom. They're law-enforcers, guardians, messengers, chosen by the Companions here. The Valdamarans dress the Heralds - people Chosen by the Companions - in white to match them.:_ Then she added, amused, _:Besides, most people aren't as fast as you.:_

Cloud puffed out his cheeks, then huffed in frustration. "Aeris why do you always end up being the cause of my clothes?" He put his face in his hand on a groan. 

_:Those black ones aren't my fault! I thought you looked perfectly fine in purple!:_ Despite the mock-offense, there was mostly wicked amusement in the second sentence. 

Cloud hid his face further, voice a little horrified. "Don't bring that up Aeris!" 

Sephiroth couldn't help peering at Cloud with utter curiosity now. Maybe the man hadn't gotten the hang of talking back silently. 

_:What? I'm just referring to your old uniform shirt.:_ Innocense couldn't have sparkled brighter. 

"Aeris you are a horrible liar." Cloud huffed. "That shirt was _black_." 

_:It was purple under certain lights,:_ she said, and then added, _:Gee, what did you_ think _I was referring to?:_ She'd noticed his habit of replying out loud instead of silently. 

Cloud just scowled, refusing to answer that. 

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow. "Just what are you and your Aeris speaking about Cloud?' 

She stayed quiet, letting Cloud answer if he wished to - though she didn't think he really would. 

Cloud just scowled at Sephiroth. " _Nothing_. Very very much _nothing_."

Sephiroth arched his eyebrow higher as Cloud turned.... pink. 

Firesong raised an eyebrow, oddly upset that Cloud was so uncomfortable. Despite that, his curiosity stayed around. "I'm rather curious myself." 

Cloud shifted in place. "I just don't do purple. And I'm _never_ growing my hair out." He scowled and crossed his arms. 

Firesong sighed. "A pity. The color would look good on you, in small amounts. And long hair is always a nice thing, though I'll admit that if you're a combatant, you wouldn't want it the length mages can allow it." 

Cloud grimaced. "I know it looks fine on me, and long hair isn't anything I have to worry about... I just know it's a _bad_ idea." He shifted from one foot to the other. 

He blinked, confused. "I wouldn't think so. What makes it such a bad idea?" 

Cloud muttered something under his breath. 

Sephiroth blinked slowly, then started to laugh, a very quiet, thoroughly amused chuckle. "You sound like you tested that." When Cloud scowled and turned pink again he pressed his lips together to not let his laughter get worse. He didn't laugh terribly often but it was a relief after the earlier bombardment. 

Aeris remained mercifully silent about the whole thing, though she couldn't block off the amusement radiating from her. 

Firesong blinked, slightly confused. Really, why _was_ it a bad thing? 

Zack blinked and eyed Cloud as he returned to the room, An'desha trailing behind. "What's got him all embarrassed?" 

"Apparently he's been mistaken for a girl before." Sephiroth got his mirth down to sort hums finally. 

Cloud crossed his arms and scowled at Zack, daring him to laugh. "It wasn't like you make it sound and I don't want to explain either! Aeris stop laughing at me and can we change topics now please?" 

_:I'm not sorry,:_ she finally said, still laughing mentally. _:You made such a pretty girl! Prettier than Tifa or I.:_

An'desha blinked, then looked at Cloud. "Really?" 

Cloud colored pink again and fisted a hand in his hair, then stomped over so he could look at Aeris straight on, going right past the pair by the door in his mortification. "I did not make a prettier girl than you! And stop laughing damn it!" 

Sephiroth closed his eyes and tipped his head against the wall, thumping his heel against it as he smothered a fresh wash of laughter. 

Zack blinked and pressed his hand against his mouth as he felt a snicker rising, manfully swallowing it, though it was haaaaard. "Cloud, maybe you should switch to mental speech." 

_:You are sort of damning yourself,:_ Aeris said, still highly amused. 

Firesong raised a confused eyebrow. "I'm not entirely sure how you could be mistaken for female, Cloud. You don't have anything near the proper build." 

Cloud froze. "I forgot I could do that." He pointed at Zack. "And don't you even start!!" He drew in a deep breath, not even trying for Wutain that everyone seemed to keep falling back to. "I'm pretty sure it was part your idea somehow. Even if you were dead." He grimaced. "Aeris is talented. New topic _please_." 

Sephiroth slid to the floor, quivering with laughter and prodded at Vianna. _:If he's broadcasting what I think he is, that I _do_ want to see, please? I can't really believe it and well...:_ He didn't doubt his hilarity seeped over. 

She sent laughter back to him, sliding the shield aside to let him see the memory-image Cloud was projecting, staring at himself in the mirror in purple dress, blond wig, jewelry, and the rest. 

Firesong's understanding of Karsite was still limited, though he used a touch of magic to make it so that the language came more easily to his ears. At the demand for a new topic, he shrugged and turned to an older topic, turning to Zack and An'desha. "What do _you_ two think?" he asked, gesturing toward Cloud's current clothing. "Much more appropriate for him?" 

Sephiroth couldn't help the fresh wave of snickers and buried his face in his knees. 

Zack was eyeing Seph, though amusing, seriously. Zack looked Cloud over. "I think he looks cute!" He flashed a grin. "Biteable I bet." 

Cloud blinked, then pinked for an entirely different cause of topic. "Zack!" 

An'desha blinked and leaned close to Sephiroth. "Are you alright?" He wasn't used to seeing such unbridled mirth from the man. 

Firesong turned an oddly irked look on Zack, though he stopped himself from saying anything about it. 

"What? Biteable works! I happen to know you're tasty!" 

"Zack!" Cloud paused after stomping his foot, very pink, then looked more intently to Zack. "So we _were_ together? I suspected but could never remember that part." He huffed. "But don't say things like that, nobody wants to know." 

Sephiroth reached with a careful tap on mindspeech level. _:Is this fine?_ : The mirth was plainly as evident in his voice. 

Firesong managed to fight down the unaccountable surge of jealousy, glancing away until he'd quieted it enough. "You do look quite attractive though. Hm, I wish I had other, more appropriate outfits for you. What you have on is good, but ah, if we were in a Vale, I could do so much better for you." 

_:Yes,:_ he said the same way. _:What is it?:_

Cloud blinked and looked back to Firesong. "I don't tend to have more than one or two outfits anyway, I'm on the move a lot. Restless." 

_:Since arriving here Cloud has been flinging his memories of whatever he's thinking about me. I had Vianna block him off mostly but this topic, well.... see?:_ He figured out how to show him the image with the thoughts, mirth finally dying down some. 

He felt a pang of disappointment at that. "Well, hopefully you'll feel a little more settled here." It wasn't like he could follow after if Cloud decided to leave. 

An'desha blinked, and then promptly bit at his lower lip to stifle his own mirth. Alright, so he _could_ pass as female, if a very _angry_ female. 

Cloud ran a hand through his hair and sighed, glancing sideways at Zack, then back. "I haven't really had anywhere to call home in a long time. Not that felt like one anyway, so I guess I'll see." 

Zack gave him a wry smile that was just a tad on the sad side. "Why do I have a feeling that home means you're not looking for more than hugs outta me anymore?" 

Sephiroth smiled at him at once and nodded at his reaction. "Makes sense mm?" 

An'desha nodded quickly, still muffling the noises, and thankful that the red in his cheeks from the mirth helped to hide the sudden flush in reaction to that smile. 

"This kingdom has become home to a remarkable mix of people," he said calmly. "It seems to attract them." 

Sephiroth relaxed, still smiling as he watched him. "I think I needed that." 

Cloud hesitated, looking at Zack, then shook his head once. "Whatever used to be there just... isn't now. Sorry." He looked to Firesong. "And none of them praising me as a hero'll be nice." 

Zack just sighed and shook his head. "Damn. And my girlfriend isn't even the same species anymore. Patience for the win then." 

An'desha was about to say something in response to that, when he heard Zack's comment. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. _:You should reassure him.:_

He let out a soft breath and looked over to where the others were. "Well, there's a simple enough course to that..." Giving An'desha a playful smirk and a touch on the hand, he got up and started over towards Zack, who blinked, then didn't get to say anything before he was thoroughly kissed. "Now that that's all settled, how long do you suppose it will be before we have people coming to investigate Cloud?" 

An'desha gave Zack a pleased little smile that pretty much said, 'I told you so.' 

"Oh, I wouldn't say it would be long," Kerowyn called from the door to the miniature Vale. "They decided that since I seem to get along with you maniacs, I may as well come after you now." She was dressed in her usual dark grey clothing, a sword slung absently at her hip.


	9. Chapter 9

Sephiroth smirked, patting his stunned Zack on the shoulder as he fully released him. "Kero. We seem to have acquired another pair from where Zack and myself hail from." 

Zack blinked at An'desha, then grinned. 

An'desha's smile broadened at that grin. 

"I can tell. The gobsmacked look is a bit of a givaway," she said easily, coming up the steps and glancing back where Aeris was watching. "And by 'pair' I'm assuming you somehow brought a white horse of your own with you." 

Cloud eyed the woman, having a bit of trouble following what she was saying. "Horse?" 

She sighed and switched to Karsite. "White thing. Four legs. Goes 'neigh' out loud, and nags in your head." 

"Aeris doesn't nag. Humiliate, yes, nag, no. I thought they were called companions? She was a dead girl back home... And is still confused by the whole thing." 

Zack watched the conversation with interest. "My girl started doing pranks after I left?" He wisely quieted down when that earned him a glare from Cloud. 

There was a long pause from Kero. "Gents, I know you're not as familiar with Companion anatomy, but that _certainly_ isn't a girl." 

Cloud coughed a little. "She was very much a girl before we got here. And dead. she didn't expect to, ah, stay here? Aeris! Explain!" 

Zack huffed. "She _was_ a girl..." 

_:It's true, I'm afraid,:_ Aeris said, finally stepping in mentally. 

Kerowyn eyed them flatly, then sighed. "I should have expected you to go and mess things up further. 

"What is it my dear cousins say?" Firesong said with a smirk. "'May you live in interesting times'?" 

"That's a _curse_ , damn you!" 

"...I don't think it is. Boredom leads good people to do stupid things to _make_ them interesting after all." That was from Sephiroth before he looked sideways at Zack who rubbed the back of his head. 

"Yeah yeah don't you start, I've been good since I got here. Ether, remember?" He held up a hand in warding. 

Cloud looked back to the woman. "Sephiroth says that I'm going to be stuck in white. Am I?" 

"Not unless you _like_ going out and playing target, in which case I'm sure we can get a few mages to light you up with, 'Hey, look where I am' spells," she said wryly, then turned to Sephiroth. "That just means you've got a living example of the curse," she said, gesturing toward Zack. 

Zack stuck out his tongue. 

Sephiroth sighed. "Yes, you did make ethers, which you need to show to the healers and the personal energy mages as soon as you get a chance." 

Cloud snorted. "I have a materia for that if I want to do that. I also have an enemy away." He flashed her a little smirk. "Which makes enemies just... not really notice you." 

"Ether?" The word caught her ear. "Something new you've come up with?" 

Firesong grumbled quietly to himself. 

Cloud almost absently moved a hand to touch Firesong, not eager for the man to restart the earlier argument. 

"What? No it's not new, I just figured out how to make em. We have them back home. They replenish magic." 

"New to me." Her eyes flashed with interest. "And they sound _damned_ useful." 

With the touch, he looked toward Cloud, grumbles dying off as his attention was quite successfully averted. 

Satisfied that he'd avoided another battle, he just left his hand resting there and looked around at everyone else. Especially the woman, as she moved like _Tifa_. 

"Hell yeah. Still working on Potions, which do the same for physical health, like bruises and stuff heal quick, and once I got that, Seph's already jabbed me to get on elixirs which do both all at once." 

She smiled, and it was a predator's smile. "I've found another reason to like you." Turning, she focused on Cloud, not missing his physical connection to Firesong. Amusement touched her expression, but she stayed quiet on the reason. "And what's your name?" 

The blond eyed her briefly before relaxing. "Cloud Strife. Yours?" 

"I'm Herald-Captain Kerowyn. I seem to have become something like a liason for these two over the past few months, so I'll probably be doing the same with you." 

Cloud blinked slowly, then huffed a laugh. "As long as no one foists off their kids on me I'm fine with that." 

Zack blinked. "That is a story you'll have to tell." 

"That's why the Skybolts have a town of their own. Leave the kids there. Far away from me," she said fervently. 

"Ah, but my dear spitfire, any children you created would be capable of such amazing feats!" Firesong exclaimed, eyes twinkling. 

Cloud glanced sideways at Zack. "People kept giving me their kids. Yuffie, then Nanaki, then Marlene..." 

Zack paused. "Wait, Yuffie? Little princess brat? .... That kinda figures actually." 

Sephiroth just snorted and retreated back to stand by An'desha. An'desha smiled a little at Sephiroth when he returned. 

_:It makes sense that she'd have known you as well,:_ Aeris said, amused. _:I imaine you two got along famously.:_

Zack made a face. _:She insisted she was my boss actually. Cute kid though.:_

Cloud nodded, looking at Zack sideways. "So you knew her first? Just how many of my people did you know first? Yuffie obviously, Aeris. I know you met Tifa in Nibelheim so she was me first. Cid?" He got a headshake. "Vincent Valentine, or man in the Shinra caves." That got a headshake. "Cid Highwind." Another headshake and a slightly fanboyish look. "Okay definitely not Cid, don't tell me he's someone you were a fanboy over, that's too funny. Cait Sith is likely a no since Reeve hadn't perfected his AI system back when you were alive... Barrett I can't see _how_ you could have met. "Nanaki... you didn't know either. Okay I feel better. so I only stole the women in your life then." 

Sephiroth shifted so he was brushing shoulders with the man as he watched the others. "I do believe Cloud is more talkative than last I saw him." 

And there went that odd little surge of jealousy in his heart again, Firesong realized. It was utterly unreasonable. And he managed to calm it by reminding himself that no matter who those women were, they weren't here - except for Aeris, who was a Companion. 

An'desha watched the dynamics between the blond and the mage, frowning slightly. "There's something going on with them." 

Zack finally got a word in edgewise. "You really know Cid Highwind? I dunno about your currents but he was massively famous when I was coming up in the ranks. I mean, kid mechanical genius for space flight and all." 

Cloud nodded, absently squeezing Firesong's arm as agitation caught his attention. He didn't even notice it wasn't normal observation that had him noticing. "Yeah Zack, I knew Cid. Bossed him around some when he was being stupid too since they all decided I was the leader for some ungodly reason and went into space with him. Gaia is gorgeous from space by the way. I kinda wish you could've seen that, I've never felt that peaceful in my life." 

"Is that bad?" He looked sideways at An'desha.

And again Firesong calmed, soothed by the contact. "Space?" he asked, intrigued. 

"No..." he said, eyeing the pair and still feeling a little _jealous_ , but not nearly as hurt as he had when he'd first seen them. 

Cloud waved upwards. "You know, up there off the planet." 

Zack grinned and bounced once in place. "So cool." 

He shifted slightly so their shoulders rubbed. "Then why worry?" 

Firesong blinked, stilling. "Among the stars?" 

"Not worried," he replied. "Just confused, because I'm not sure what it is." 

"Lifebond," Kero said nonchalantly as she came over to join them, though not _quite_ as close. 

Cloud smiled, nodding immediately. "Yeah." 

Sephiroth blinked and looked sideways at her. "I think I've heard that phrase before." 

"Ah," he said softly. "That must have been a beautiful journey. I have heard the Shin'a'in speak of the Moonpaths, but that seems a different thing entirely." 

"People tend to equate it to true love; Talia and Dirk are lifebonded. Elspeth and Darkwind are lifebonded. Keren and Sherril are lifebonded. Hells, _I'm_ lifebonded to Eldan. Heralds seem to attract the things. Really, it just means that your souls are bound, and that you're compatible." 

His smile softened. "It was peaceful. I finally understood why he wanted to fly in the stars so bad up there." 

Sephiroth paused, then blinked. "Should I keep an eye out?" He arched an eyebrow. "I can't say I'm not pleased with my current arrangements." 

"Who knows? Probably not. Like I said, they're rare, and you seem pretty well-balanced with what you've got going," she said absently. "Personally, I think that relationships that _aren't_ lifebonded are a little luckier. If your lifebonded is unhappy, so are you. It can get to be a bit of a feedback loop." 

"...I wish I could have seen what it was like," Firesong said softly. 

An'desha, oddly enough, wished that he had something small to snack on as he watched Firesong and Cloud. It was a little like the performances he remembered seeing. 

Sephiroth grimaced. "I've seen that go to a rather fatalistic conclusion, I'd rather not again." He glanced to check that Zack was still over by the pair, then shook his head with a faint half smile. "So I'll be glad that I don't need one then." 

Cloud hesitated, frowning slightly as he considered something. "Well, I know I've shown people my memories before, Tifa told me as much, but I'm not sure how to do it on purpose or I would." 

_:You've got me, anyway,:_ Vianna said privately, amused. _:I doubt you'll lifebond, though.:_

Firesong started at the offer. "That is...very kind of you. Truly." 

_:I'm glad to have you_ _and that's likely for the best as well.:_

He shifted slightly. "I'm not much for mind things, so you should." He looked to the side. "Ah.... when did everyone start looking at us?" 

"When you two started acting like the romance books some of the airhead nobles like to read," Kero said with a smirk. 

Firesong manfully managed to refrain from blushing. 

Cloud looked more confused than embarrassed. "What?" 

Zack grinned. "You're so cute when you're clueless." 

Kero laughed as well. "I think I'll leave you lot to keep yourselves entertained for now. I'll just assume Cloud is going to fit in with you two, and you can have Vianna give me a call if you need me." Though the temptation to stay and enjoy more of the show was strong. 

Sephiroth made an amused noise. "Let me know next time you need someone for tactical games hmm?" 

"Done," she said quickly, pleased. "Hells, I've got a few of my officers coming by within a few days. You can show them that there're people outside the Skybolts who can still provide a challenge. 

Firesong raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't realized you two had become such good friends, Firemare." 

Sephiroth blinked and glanced over to Firesong, not sure who he was talking to. Likely Kero. "Well, I talk to her far more often than I talk to you Firesong, you shouldn't be surprised." He looked back to her, amused. "I'm always pleased to show people that they're not as aware as they think they are." 

Zack snorted. "I'm not surprised, Seph spends almost as much time with her as he does with An'desha." 

Kero tossed a look at him. "Feel free to come along, if you like," she offered. 

"I'm rather surprised you don't spend more time with her, Zack," Firesong added, amused. "I'd think you'd get along well." 

Zack flashed him an amused grin. "Between the Healers and Talia I tend to stay busy." 

"Tell 'em to sod off if you want more time for yourself," she advised. "They'll grumble, but they'll listen." 

An'desha stayed quiet for the time being; if nothing else, he and Zack would be spending a little more time together when they helped each other out. 

Zack laughed and gave her a wry look. "I spend time at the Rose too. But I gotta ask people what is up with the mating circle thing?" 

Sephiroth snorted and moved a hand to cover his face. "You've been approached with that one too have you? I used tonberries as a defense." 

Firesong started laughing. So did Kerowyn, for that matter. 

"They ask me too, whenever I go over to the Palace," An'desha said comfortingly. 

Zack snickered and eyed Seph. "I was too confused, what did you _say_? And why do they _ask_?" 

Sephiroth smirked slightly. "I have studied the lifecycles of tonberries a bit, among other creatures, and they _do_ have mating circle pollination since the entire species is male.... I'm sure I confused them horribly." 

Firesong continued to laugh, though he managed to calm it somewhat. "It's...I don't even know where they came up with it. When we arrived at the Ashkevron manor, we were met by three Heralds who had some rather odd notions of decency. I'm afraid neither Darkwind nor I helped all that much." 

An'desha's expression was confused. "Tonberries are...those monsters you mentioned, right? That looked like giant plants?" 

Sephiroth glanced sideways at him. "Tonberries are green creatures that can kill you or incapacitate you in one attack if they so choose, and look vaguely like lizards actually. Aside from the robes and lanterns." 

Zack gave a wry smile. "I've had a couple of them ask me some _weird_ questions about why me and Seph's blades are like they are, I expect a fresh wave as soon as they see Cloud's. At least they haven't specifically asked about sex yet since their ideas seem to creep them out."

He winced. "Sorry. I was thinking of something else. Those pollinate?" That was what had made him think of plants. 

"Well, think about it," Firesong said indulgently. "What's more phallic in appearance than a sword? Aside from the real thing, I mean." 

"Yes, they hunt, but that's not how they breed. It's rather hard to go about things the conventional ways if you don't have any females." He made an amused noise and looked sideways at An'desha. "The more plantlike creatures actually tend to have females, oddly enough." 

"A staff." Cloud's answer was immediate, and he flushed after he said it. _:Aeris don't say_ anything!!:

"I should sell tickets to watch you all," Kero said, amused, as she leaned nonchalantly back against the wall. 

"Hm." Firesong nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that as being phallic as well." 

Zack was looking sideways at Cloud. "Who'd you know that used a staff?" 

Cloud covered his face with his hand. "Aeris." 

Sephiroth snorted softly. "If you sold tickets I doubt we'd be so entertaining." 

"Well I wouldn't _tell_ you," she said tartly. 

"It makes her new form of a stallion so much more interesting, hm?" Firesong couldn't resist the quip. Cloud just made a strangled little noise and stared at the man, very pink. "Of course, from what little sense of her I'd gotten, perhaps it truly isn't _too_ surprising..." The noise, and expression, simply egged him on. 

Seph just smirked back. "I'm sure the crowd would draw its own attention." 

An'desha glanced over, and sighed. "You'd be better off selling tickets to see the Great Mage Pandemonium." 

Zack grinned. "I dunno what that is, but this is funny.... and sounds kinky." 

"Him," An'desha said, gesturing to Firesong. "The Great Mage Pandemonium was the persona he wore when he and the others were sneaking into Hardorn." 

"Most eye-blinding outfits I have ever seen," Kerowyn agreed. "And I'm cousin to the Shin'a'in, who have never seen a color they didn't like." 

"We're not that bad!" 

Cloud finally moved forward and planted a hand over Firesong's lips. "Sh." Firesong blinked at Cloud over the hand on his mouth, still amused, and discarded the idea of using Mindspeech to continue the game. Cloud huffed and leaned into the hand. "And stay sh." 

"You're asking the sun not to shine," Kero called over to Cloud. 

Firesong was annoyed by the interjection. He rather _liked_ Cloud where he was. Cloud rolled his eyes and leaned in closer to Firesong, still not moving his hand as he looked over at her. "He seems to be listening fine right _now_ thanks." 

Zack perked. "I think I wanna see that. All of that. And what's wrong with colors?" 

"Zack, being able to see more colors doesn't give you the requirement to surround yourself with them." Sephiroth snorted softly, then patted An'desha's arm. "Surely she didn't mean you specifically... unless you're very fond of color too?" 

"Well, of course I like colors," he huffed. "But not _all_ Shin'a'in are as color-mad as she said." A pause. "Well, some aren't." A longer pause. "A few." 

Firesong simply smiled behind Cloud's hand, and fluttered his eyelashes delicately at him. Cloud looked back at the man in time to catch that. "I'm not that easily convinced you know." Firesong kept up the innocent act easily, practically sparkling like Aya. Cloud snorted and leaned in further, so their noses were almost touching. "I have had practice against the innocent eyes." Then he smirked and leaned back slightly. "I lived with _kids_." 

Fine, then. Firesong's eyes went half-lidded and sensual, and he pursed his lips to place a delicate, teasing little kiss against Cloud's palm. Cloud's eyes widened slightly then narrowed, voice a murmur without any heat behind it. "Don't think that'll make me move my hand." 

Sephiroth couldn't help a small smirk. "And you?" 

"I told you, of _course_ I like colors. But I'm not color-mad or anything." This time Sephiroth got the sulky glare. 

Sephiroth laughed, a low, soft sound. "I just wanted to be sure it was more preference than your range of opportunity." 

"No," he said, rolling his eyes. "And I'm not nearly Tayledras-flamboyant, either." He held up his arm to show the dyed and simply-patterned leather tunic he wore, a short fringe hanging below. 

"True enough, you're nice on my eyes." He followed the sleeve up to his face with his eyes, smiling slightly. 

The blush returned, and he dropped his arm again. "Thank you." 

"Simply the truth." The small smile widened, and he wandered his eyes over the flush. 

Zack had come away from those two and couldn't help the little grin as he leaned in near Kero. "They're real cute aren't they?" 

"Ridiculously soppy already." A pause. "Wait, which pair?" 

Zack grinned widely. "Which pair do you think I mean?" 

"Either or," she shrugged, amused. "Well, that pair," a subtle nod toward Seph and An'desha, "are soppy. The other two are on the way." 

Zack laughed softly. "I haven't really watched them together before today, but yeah I meant them. I'm proud of Seph at the moment." He gave her a sheepish grin. "You have no idea how long I've been poking him to find someone to go for. The other two though, well, they're entertaining me." 

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought you two had something going on yourselves." 

"We do!" Zack grinned at her. "More now than we used to, but I already had a pair so he didn't fully believe me I think." He rolled his eyes. "Like I can't love more than one person at a time. But we're good, and I'm sooo happy he's pursuing someone without me having anything to do with it. Doesn't hurt he picked someone cute either." He looked sideways at An'desha at that point. 

"Good, then. Most people I've seen are best in one-on-one pairs, but I've also seen way too many of my cousins with their own personal harems." 

Zack nodded. "Yeah, back home it's not _too_ uncommon. I mean, people just kinda lump in together sometimes. More everything to share around, you know?" 

Kero nodded. "A lot of times it's a similar attitude with the Clans. Things happen as they happen, and so it goes." 

Zack gave her a brilliant smile. "Exactly! People who don't get that just confuse me really. I mean, if you're open and stuff, then what's the issue? Seriously." 

"Pretty much," Kero agreed. It was rare to meet someone from outClan who actually understood that. 

He gave her a brilliant smile. "I think I totally need to spend more time with you, you have the right priorities." 

"I'll take you with me when the cousins come up for the next Horse Faire. They'll love you," she shot back, also grinning. 

Zack nodded at once. "I think that would be awesome. I mean, I'm awesome, and if they're like you then they're prolly pretty good too." 

"They're insane," she said dryly. "Then again, they're Shin'a'in. The words are generally pretty much synonymous." 

"Sounds like Gongaga and oddballs." Zack snickered. "Seph was so horrified when he realized that Valdemar was a land of, I quote, 'Gongagan speakers'." 

"Sounds like you come from an interesting place yourself," Kero replied, amused. 

"We have touch mes. Those are frogs that turn people _into_ frogs. So why _wouldn't_ we be interesting?" He grinned. 

That got a startled look. "Okay, point taken." A pause. "How do you get turned _back_?" 

"You either get hit again, or like my mom would do." He rolled his eyes. "Wait for it to wear off. I personally prefer to keep a white cape on hand and take maidens kisses around with me. They're neat little almost candies that reverse it." 

"Interesting," she said, nodding. "Mages around here tend not to use transformatives. My grandmother told me about a witch she and my Clanmother ran into once, who had pretty much gone insane because of it." 

Well _that_ was certainly a challenge. Firesong's eyes sparkled with pleasure for a moment before returning to the sensual attitude, and he parted his lips to lick Cloud's palm, tasting the skin, before repeating the kiss. Mmm. Nice. Cloud knew exactly what he was doing and refused to give it up that easy, instead leaning in so he could murmur in his ear, almost a purr of words. "Having fun?" 

One hand lifted to caress down Cloud's jawline, and he nodded a few times, still repeating the actions. Cloud shifted on his feet slightly, then pressed his hand a little tighter against his mouth, a little playful smirk coming to his lips. "A guy would think you were hungry." Firesong nipped the skin of his palm, amused by the comment. Cloud snorted and leaned back some. "No, you don't get to eat _me_." He raised an eyebrow in a silent 'why not?' even as he slid his hand from jaw, to neck, and then down into the open collar of the blue shirt to caress the skin there. 

Cloud jolted, his other hand moving to catch the wandering fingers. "hey!" Firesong smirked, because he still had another hand. Touching Cloud's wrist near his mouth, he followed it up his arm in a sensual slide. Cloud shifted on his feet again and gave him a teensy scowl. That was so not fair. The touches stayed light and in fairly "appropriate" areas, but they were still there, still teasing. Cloud considered, then pulled the captured hand when he moved it to catch the other one too. "There we are." 

Firesong stepped in closer to Cloud, body arched toward him sensually. Cloud moved the man's hands to one side and smiled slightly, leaning away a little, though more to taunt him than anything. "You'll just keep trying won't you?" He just got a shrug and agreeable nod. 

Humming, a little amused, he lifted his hand off his mouth. "I suppose I wouldn't want to interfere with your breathing then. Or risk you getting so hungry as to really nibble." 

An'desha watched the pair, and made himself swallow down the jealousy. Just because Firesong was...flirting with someone else didn't mean he didn't still love him. It was okay. 

Sephiroth had been quiet, watching An'desha as he watched Cloud and Firesong. He moved his hand to touch his shoulder, brushing softly with mental, not feeling right saying anything aloud. _:Are you going to be alright?:_

He glanced to the side, and nodded slowly. _:I'm just...It's just...uncomfortable, a bit.:_

_:It hurts a bit I gather.:_ It was more statement than question, soft. _:Perhaps it's best that it's not with any malice that you get exposed to this situation?:_

_:I suppose so. At least I do know, you're right.:_

He nodded, moving his hand to touch An'desha's sleeve before dropping it again. _:I don't suppose it makes it more comfortable though. We can walk, if you'd rather.:_

"Oh, I'd be perfectly happy to enjoy the feast in front of me," Firesong purred once his mouth was uncovered. "And you might be surprised at how long I can go without breathing, and what I can do then." 

An'desha's face flamed bright red when he overheard the comment, embarrassment and jealousy and annoyance mixing all together. "Ah- I think I'm going to go for a quick walk," he said aloud, straightening from the door and heading out with a quick, _:Yes, please.:_

Sephiroth nodded slightly to Kero, brushed Zack's arm, then easily followed the other man out of the room. He wasn't terribly at peace with being in the same room as Cloud as yet anyway, not with how he was projecting earlier. 

"Seriously? Not even Mini?" Zack looked after the pair as they left, then looked back to her again. "And Mini is _awesome_ for pranks." He held up his hand just above knee hight. "It makes you thiiiiiiis tall until the spell affect wears off. I'm pretty sure there's an item out there that does it too, but I'd have to ask Seph about the name I think." 

"It tends to affect the minds of those transformed if they stay in the shape for too long," she explained. "And if you do that to any of my troops, you'll have to teach them how to either deal with it, or shake it off." 

"It shouldn't." He looked genuinely shocked. "It's not like a confuse or berserk, and definitely not like, you know, a manipulate or anything like that." He waved a hand around. "I don't do hurtful pranks on fellas.... just disorienting ones." 

"Transformative magics _here_ ," she corrected herself. "Let's say you got shape-changed into the size of a bird, even a bondbird. They're bigger than the average, but their brains are still a lot smaller." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Sounds to me like what you've got is an awfully thorough and complicated illusion, not a complete transformative spell." 

"Might be." He rolled a shoulder and spread his hands. "I mean, well, we have our quirks. Like summons. You call a summon and you will poofle out most times while it's on the plain for you. Not always mind. And uh, no I'm pretty sure transformatives really do cause I've turned critters into some really nifty gadgets...." He moved to his things and dug out a trinket from a pocket. "Like this one. Critter way over on the East areas of the Midgar continent. Not all that useful but." He rolled a shoulder. 

She eyed it. "Huh. Well, I'm no expert. I've heard my mages' stories, and I'm good with that." 

He moved over and fished around his pockets for a few bottles of his ethers. "Here you go! Give these to some of the mages that use personal power and ask em how well they work? I'm not sure what strength I got them to." 

She accepted the ethers, looking them over curiously before tucking them away. "I'll hand 'em over to Quenten. He's been running a magic school for long enough that he knows how to check out things like that." 

Zack nodded a bit. "They feel like basic ethers but I wanna be sure they won't mess anyone here up before I really get into a jive you know?" 

"Anyone who's trying these will know they're not completely settled," she reassured him. "Still, I'm curious about how they'll work." 

"Well, I healed up Cloudyboy earlier and took one and I feel about on level, so they should work like normal. Which is to say they perk back in the magic levs." 

Cloud froze, cheeks going a bit pink. He never did know how to handle flirting. "Maybe I freed up your mouth too fast then." 

"And yet you can't think of something else to keep it occupied?" he asked. What lovely lines he was being handed! 

"I can think of plenty of things, but nothing that's going to make me want to move just yet."

Firesong smirked, moving closer again. "I can always come to you instead." 

"Can you? Well it does look like you've got the idea of space at least." It was a murmur and he flexed his fingers on his wrists lightly. 

Even with the reminder he wasn't deterred. Though... He turned his head, stepping back the distance he'd come with a saddened sigh. "If you truly don't wish my company, then I suppose I'll be forced to be alone. Without companionship at all. If I'm so very repulsive, what else is there for me?" 

He snorted and gave his wrists a little jerk. "I have no doubt you got laid quite recently, I can smell it on you, so do try that again?" 

He recovered from the tug forward gracefully, pleased at the current situation. "If you like, I can do something else." 

"I think you're spoiled." Cloud's tone was a bit amused. "Just so you know." 

"And deservedly so," Firesong replied, amused. 

Cloud considered that, studying him. "Yes you're quite pretty, but spoiled is spoiled. You'd think no one ever spanked you for being naughty." Then he tisked. 

"It depends on what you believe _naughty_ is," he said amused. And despite all of the flirting, a part of him reminded himself of An'desha, and he knew he wouldn't offer a feather no matter how much he wanted to. 

"Naughty has all kinds of connotations and very strict rules to stick to." He brought his free hand up to rest a finger over his lips. "And insisting on getting your way is definitely naughty." 

He pursed his lips into a kiss against Cloud's finger, and added, "But what if it's simply justified?" 

Cloud leaned in close, brushing a kiss over the corner of his lips by his finger. "Then you'll know that later, and know a little punishment was worth it." He then stepped back all at once, releasing him. 

Firesong sighed as Cloud stepped away, but didn't put up a fuss beyond that. Disappointing, but still. 

"You two done playing around?" Kero called. 

Cloud turned and moved away from the man over to Zack. "Yep. I see we lost a couple folks while Firesong was being cutesy." 

"Yeah, Firesong's boyfriend and my boyfriend went for a walk." He looked sideways at Cloud. "While _you_ were being cutesy." 

Firesong smiled; he hadn't been the only one flirting there, especially at the end. 

Cloud scowled at him. "I'm not cutesy. I'm er, I'm forward?" 

Zack laughed and shook his head, hooking an arm across his shoulders and leaning on him. "Yeah yeah you keep saying that." 

Kerowyn leaned out the door to look down the stairs into the main area. "It's safe to come back - they've stopped now!" 

An'desha glanced upward from where he and Sephiroth had been sitting next to the cold water pool, and blushed. 

Sephiroth laughed softly and reached over to brush a fingertip over An'desha's cheek. "You do that a lot. Want to go back inside?" 

"I hesitate to think of what would happen if we didn't," An'desha said, standing up to head inside. 

Kerowyn was about to continue the teasing when she stopped, standing stock-still, her eyes unfocused as she listened to the frantic Mindcall. 

Sephiroth nodded, peering up at Kero when she froze, and he arched an eyebrow. "Apparently something odd and somewhat concerning." He eyed the woman and raised his voice. "Kero?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Hang on," she said absently, then her eyes focused and snapped onto the Tayledras. "Firesong. Do you remember the keep on the Eastern border? I know Elspeth took you there a few times when we were cleaning up. Do you know it well enough to establish a Gate there as well?" 

Firesong blinked at the question, but didn't ask. "Yes, I should. It helps that Elspeth has established one there previously. When do you need it?" Because otherwise she wouldn't be asking. 

"Fifteen minutes, at the Chapel. We've got bandits out of Hardorn, and there's too many of them for the local forces. More than that, they've gotten themselves a mage." With that, she ducked out, running down the stairs and leapfrogging onto Sayvil's back. "Sorry to cut this short!" And then the two of them took off out of the artificial Vale for the Palace. 

Sephiroth stayed still a beat, then peered up where the woman had been leaning out. He frowned a teensy bit. "I don't suppose going would be an option for me or the other two, would it?" 

Zack blinked a couple times, then moved to look out the window down to Seph. "I know that itchy feet look Seph! I think you gotta ask first!" 

Cloud looked from one person to another. "Great. Are you going into battle now pretty much or just making a way there, and what exactly is a Gate?" 

Firesong raised an eyebrow at Zack, but didn't ask what he was referring to. Instead, he headed for the stairs and the door out, pausing only to retrieve one of his elegantly tailored gauntlets and slip it on. As he came down the steps, he held out one arm for Aya, who flew to his arm with a trail of false sparks to land neatly. "As to what a Gate is..." He smiled then at Cloud, joy of magic lighting up in his eyes. "If you care to come with, I can show you." 

An'desha blinked, and slowly offered, "I don't know. You'd have to ask Kerowyn, I think." 

Zack muttered something and got Seph's boots, hopping down from the window lightly to shove them at the man. "You should have put those on _before_ comin outside you know." He paused, then cursed. "Be right back." He reversed course to fetch his own clothes before returning, beating the other two down. "Almost forgot my things and unlike you glimmer boy I actually carry my supplies around." 

Sephiroth snorted and pulled on the boots without bothering to thank him. "Where are the rest of my clothes Zack?" 

Cloud just followed Firesong, looking at the bird with interest. "He looks a bit like a phoenix doesn't he?" 

Both Firesong and An'desha startled a bit at Zack's bold leaps, though Firesong covered it better. He nodded to Cloud, though. "Firebirds were created based off of the phoenixes, yes. They're highly-magical, though Aya is more so than his wild brethren, due to the fact that he is a bondbird." He kept his pace up toward the doorway even as he spoke, sparing on the slightest concern for Sephiroth and Zack. An'desha was given a warm smile and a nod though. 

As the other two got ready to head out, An'desha stood up. "Even if you don't get to go with, you should at least watch Firesong build the Gate." 

Cloud hummed slightly, only sparing an absent glance when Firesong startled, but he didn't see anything odd. "It's like an air between a Phoenix summon and a gold chocobo." He shook his head slightly and gave him a wry smile. "I'm going to probably end up studying the wild birds here in my spare time, I got in the habit with my flock." 

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "I er... gave themtoViannawhotookthemsomewhere?" He shuffled his things around a bit and took off the top layer of the outfit he was in, putting on his belt and suspenders before hiding them with the topmost layer again. 

Sephiroth just narrowed his eyes at him and shook his head, looking to An'desha as Zack started a mass transfer of things from his old pockets to one he'd hunted down on his new clothes. "Of course. If we can go, at least myself and Zack, that would be best. I know neither of us is used to being stationary so long. But I'm aware we're hardly conventional either." 

"The firebird bondbird population is my personal project, actually," he admitted, stroking through Aya's feathers. "No one had attempted it before, as raptors usually make much better bondbirds." 

Despite the accusations placed upon her, Vianna calmly waited for them to head out without saying anything in her defense. 

"Well, good luck," he said softly, nodding. "You might want to hurry to catch up, though. I doubt Firesong is going to wait." The Adept had already left the artificial Vale, striding deeper into the Field. 

Cloud nodded a little. "I was the only one to breed gold Chocobos... Do they exist here, do you know? Land birds." 

Sephiroth just nodded and ran his fingers down the man's arm before moving to head after the other two with quick steps. 

Zack gave An'desha a sheepish grin. "Here." He fished out a bell and shoved it into his hands. "Wear that if you're ever not feeling well kay?" Then he bolted after Seph before he got even _further_ away, moving his things quickly as he walked. 

An'desha blinked down at the item, a bit startled, and then tucked it into a pocket. Then he retreated to his little tent with a wealth of things to think about. 

"No, though Sephiroth and Zack have mentioned them. They sound rather interesting. But...gold Chocobos? They never mentioned that color." 

"They weren't around for.... a really long time until after they were both... gone. They were just myths. They're even more amazing than the stories made them out to be though." There was a quiet warm admiration in his voice as he warmed to his subject, keeping pace with him. "They are gold, glimmer in the light even, but you can almost feel the magic in them. You can't with most of the other colors, though Whites can heal if they like you enough golds... They _know_. they're intelligent like the other colors aren't." He moved a hand through the air. "They can do everything the blacks can, running over streams and taking mountains without a trouble, breathing underwater and it giving them no resistance. But they don't _need_ to be able to breathe under water. They can run on the oceans. They can also scale a sheer cliff face. My oldest hen startled me rather badly when she did that as even the blacks can't go up vertical surfaces like that." 

Firesong watched Cloud steadily, trusting to instinct to guide him to the Chapel, taking in the blond as he spoke. His gaze was rapt, both at the idea of a creature that could do all of that, and at the passion that the blond spoke with as he described the birds. "They sound truly amazing. I wish they did exist here, so that you could show them to me." 

"I had a flock of about thirty that stayed with me. I had released several back to the wild populations of the yellow off the other continents so that they could re-mingle the blood in. The ones in the local area had gotten so weak. Though admittedly it's near impossible to kill a grown chocobo." He snorted. "I know someone who accidentally cast a grand summon on one instead of the guide creatures with it when trying to catch it. Damage that could kill a man several times over, and what did it do? Gave him a violent peck on the head and ran away, unphased." Cloud snorted, obviously amused. "I told him he shouldn't have tried catching them without me or a lure, but nooo, of course not." 

Sephiroth reached back almost absently to pull Zack even with him as the man barely avoided tripping, and steered him so they were following the other two more closely, listening. 

He chuckled at the image. "Very hardy creatures. I should make sure to introduce you to the gryphons, at least! While they aren't chocobos, they are an entirely different sort of creature entirely, and I think you will find them fascinating." The Chapel came into sight then, and there were two Heralds already waiting for them, a third coming up on Companion-back as they spoke. Firesong nodded greeting to all of them. 

Cloud considered that. "Then you likely should yes." 

Sephiroth looked around at the others and nodded to people, eyes scanning for Kero as he absently pulled Zack along in his wake, the man still moving things from pocket to pocket with quick little movements. There were reasons that people tended to have few outfits if they were fighters. 

"As soon as I can, then," he assured him, pleased at that. 

Kero finally arrived, a group of the Skybolts behind her on the Shin'a'in-bred horses. She nodded to Firesong once they were assembled. "We're all here. When you're ready, but soon, please." 

 

Sephiroth looked sideways at her. "Would it be out of place for myself and Zack to come?" 

Cloud nodded, falling quiet. He had just gotten here, it was so not the time for him to be charging headlong into anything. Again. 

"Unfortunately, yes. All of the people we've got going are intimately familiar with the terrain." Her expression was rueful. "If we had more time, I'd be dragging you through the Gate myself." 

Firesong raised and eyebrow at her, and then turned to the Chapel doorway. Within one heartbeat, the arch was covered over with the empty expanse of the Void, the edges lined with faint light as streams of his own energy spiraled out to look for the destination. And then within another heartbeat, the Void was gone, replaced with the image of an indoor riding arena, oddly placed within the white marble of the Chapel door. "Go ahead." 

Sephiroth snorted and inclined his head. "If you change your mind, we're here. Though we're perfectly ready to come now either way." He turned his attention to the Gate with interest, Zack finally looking up as well. 

"Shiiiiny. And new terrains are nothing I promiiiise." 

The Heralds lead the way through, the Skybolts following after one by one. Kero looked wistful. "I really wish I could. But I just can't take the chance right now. I'll see about getting you two out of the Palace as soon as possible when we get back, I promise." 

Sephiroth hummed and patted Zack absently. "I understand, I was never keen on escorting unknowns either. We'll see you when you return" He nodded once and gestured her on. 

She nodded and directed Sayvil through at the end of the line, and the Gate snapped closed behind them. 

Firesong closed his eyes for a long moment as the drain set in, and then opened himself to the Heartstone, basking in the renewed energy. Unlike what Zack said, _this_ was truly the way to replenish. 

Cloud looked at Firesong oddly as he felt an almost prickle of warmth from the man, but didn't say anything. 

Sephiroth, meanwhile was murmuring to Zack, who looked sorely disappointed, but wasn't arguing as he continued to redistribute his things.

Vianna nosed Sephiroth's shoulder gently. _:You'll see more action soon. Even if Kero doesn't get back soon, she'll get in contact with others around here, and they'll help.:_

Sephiroth quirked his lips slightly. _:I've been getting restless, as I'm sure Zack can attest to as restless means I'm a bit... rougher in spars.:_

_:I've noticed,:_ she said, mental voice dry. 

Firesong shook his head clear, eyes opening again. "And that," he said cheerfully, "was Gating. Please don't try it without a fully-trained Adept there. Consequenses of mistakes with it are almost always fatal, as well as very messy."

Cloud was still eyeing the man intently. "I've never heard of anything like that before honestly." He paused, thought about it and eyed Sephiroth. "Though I'm pretty sure he knew something like it, shorter range." He looked back to Firesong. "I don't know if he still does though." 

_:I'm sure you have.:_ "Are you talking about my flickering? I assure you that I've known how to do that quite some time." 

Zack blinked. "Wait, wait, flickering? Seeeeph, are you telling me I _still_ haven't gotten you to be serious with me in spars? I don't even know what that is!" 

"There's not much a point in Gating short range, unless there's no other way to transport yourself," he said. "So it's something else." 

_:That's a different Gift, actually, related to Fetching,:_ Vianna interjected. 

Cloud rolled a shoulder. "It's the closest I've seen." He paused. "And I'm pretty sure he could go rather far from it. And I know it's not the same as when he'd walk through walls." He scowled. " _That_ was aggravating." 

Sephiroth eyed Zack. "You know I don't want to hurt you seriously." Then he looked to Cloud. "Walking through walls I haven't figured out how to do, though the gods alone know I dearly coveted _that_ skill when I was a child." He shook his head slightly and waved at Vianna. "I'm not sure if she's right about the Fetching thing, but she might be." 

Zack just crossed his arms and huffed, muttering something about practice. 

_:Trust the mystical white being.:_

"Companions do generally know what they're talking about being _leysha'e_ as they are," Firesong conceded. "Well, generally. I've known a few who had no clue, but refused to admit that fact." 

_:Vianna, you're not going to hypnotize me.:_ Sephiroth inclined his head slightly. "I expect no less." He leaned to the side when Zack jabbed him, looking up from his transfer progress. "What?" 

"I want to seeee." 

"So?" He huffed as he got a pathetic look in return and looked up towards the heavens briefly. Then he shook his head and flickered to the opposite side of the little group, outside of Zack's jabbing range. "Satisfied?" 

Vianna looked to where he was after the flicker. _:Not Fetching itself,:_ she reiterated, _:but something similar.:_

_:Yes yes I understand your meaning. I don't see a reason to assign names to it all.:_

Zack blinked, then huffed. "Okay I'll be glad you don't do that when we're sparring, I'd get more bruises." He shook his head and turned his attention back to the pockets, grumbling. "And I get plenty of those _now_." 

_:Because we of Valdemar have made something of a science out of mind-magic,:_ she said reasonably. _:And how else are we to discuss something if it doesn't have a name?:_

He hummed softly. _:But I call it Flickering.:_ "Exactly Zack, besides, I do like it to last a bit longer." when Zack just huffed, he smiled. 

She sent a mental shrug. _:It's as good a name as any. I was merely trying to explain something about it.:_

Sephiroth moved over to her on a soft laugh and petted her face. _:I'm not trying to confuse you Vianna.:_

She huffed. _:I wasn't confused.:_

_:Or annoy horribly?:_

_:Not annoyed either, Chosen.:_

Sephiroth finally hummed and dropped the topic settling in to just petting her around the ears while he watched Zack go through his things. "Did you bring everything you owned Zack?" 

"....Not everything." 

She leaned against his chest contentedly. _:You have at least a thousand years to stop doing that.:_

He smiled slightly and wrapped his other arm around her neck while he scritched, watching Zack in amusement. 

Cloud frowned and then sighed, turning his full attention on Firesong in a considering stare. 

He met Cloud's gaze, slightly startled at the intensity of it. "...yes?" 

"I can feel you in my head. Why?" 

That made him blink, and then reflexively check his shields. "I'm sorry, I didn't _think_ I was projecting..." 

Cloud frowned at him and crossed his arms, staring at him even harder. "It took a little while to fully tell but you were doing it since I got here." 

He hesitated. "There is...an odd bond between us. I am doing my best not to project along it." Even if he was fairly sure what that bond _was_ , partially because it wasn't with the person that he'd been hoping for. Well, until he met Cloud. 

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes, giving the man a positively irked look at the omission. He could tell he was hesitating but he didn't play around with mind matters. Not after everything he'd been through because of them. 

"Why are we connected, or why am I trying not to project?" He spoke quickly, feeling oddly...embarrassed, and mildly ashamed. Neither was an emotion he was particularly used to. "I don't know why we're connected - it's on a level low enough that it took me a while to discover - and as to why I haven't been projecting, or trying not to, that's because it's _polite_." 

Cloud, if anything, looked more annoyed, unhappy with the situation and the sense that he still wasn't getting all his information. "I never assumed that not projecting would be a bad thing, and I have a feeling you _know_ that wasn't what I meant. You're not telling me something about this." He waved a hand between them." 

Firesong regarded Cloud for a moment, considering and then discarding various ideas, before simply saying, "We're lifebonded." 

Cloud stared at him for a beat. "What does that mean and how much like it sounds is it?" 

"It's..." He paused, unexpectedly at a loss for words. "I..." 

"I haven't exactly had a good track record with people in my head." He held up his hand, then started ticking off on his fingers. "Lifestream, which shredded my consciousness. Zack, who died and gave me most of his soul. Sephiroth, who bloody well turned me into a toy." He looked at the man, who pointedly ignored him, then looked back. "But we'll not get into that one. Tifa, who pulled my consciousness back together in the lifestream with me." He gave him an arch look. "So what exactly are you going to end up doing to me with this new little bond?" 

Silver eyes went wide with shock and a touch of offense. "Nothing! It's- lifebonds are _passive_ ," he insisted. "Emotion travels through, but there shouldn't be anything bad that comes of it." 

"Emotion can be bad enough." His voice was clipped with that. "Especially strong enough emotions." 

His expression twisted with a touch of offense. "Well there's nothing _I_ can do about it." 

"I can't just... turn it off can I?" 

"No," he said, voice clipped as he turned on his heel, stalking back toward his Vale. Aya spread his wings, startled, but stayed balanced on his shoulder. 

Cloud frowned and eyed his back, then immediately moved after him. "You're sure about that?" 

"Yes." 

"You're upset I asked." He moved forward and grabbed his arm, spinning him around as he brought him up short. "Why? It doesn't seem like something conductive to the relationship you already have." 

He jerked to a stop, lips pressed tightly together. "Because it is a _lifebond_. It essentially means that we're destined to be together. And yes, I still love An'desha, but..." He shook his head. "And thus why I didn't say anything." He didn't try to pull away. 

He met his eyes, his lips pressed together as he regarded him for a long moment. "I hurt your feelings." 

"You should be able to tell," he said flatly, "since I appear to have difficulties not projecting." 

"Why would you want that?" He honestly didn't understand. Every bond he'd had had practically always ended in pain. Aeris was only an exception because she'd gotten _that_ out of the way when he watched her die practically in touching distance! 

He flinched. "Because you don't wish me to." 

"No." He leaned in so they were almost nose to nose, not releasing him. "Why would do you want that connection?" 

"Why would I like a lifebond?" He blinked in astonishment. "Why _shouldn't_ I?" 

"Haven't you been listening? There's so many things wrong with that idea... And what else does it do to you? I can't just show each other how you feel. I know for a fact this should piss me off a lot more than it does, but look at me, not pissed off. So what else does it do? Does it twist people around? Is there a controlling partner in this? What else? Are you now it?" 

"It doesn't _have_ to be like that!" he growled back, and resisting the urge to try and pull away. "It _shouldn't_ be! Lifebonds are supposed to be wonderful things, support and caring and a match for both partners, like Vanyel and Stefan, or Talia and Dirk, or even Kerowyn and her Eldan! Not something _terrible_!" 

He let out a rough breath. "The only one of those names I know is Kerowyn, but she doesn't seem miserable. Were any of the others?" 

"No," he said softly. "Well, Vanyel had an earlier lifebond, with Tylendel, but that...was doomed from the start, and the lifebond wasn't at all the cause." 

"And how do you know that you're not walking into something doomed here, hmm? Quite a few people have died because of me." 

"And you're simply going to let that rule your life? What is the point in _that_?" 

"Considering I was fully expecting to die soon before I got here what do you _think_ the point was?"

"I don't know - I don't associate with depressive, suicidal idiots on a regular basis," he growled, his usual composure already taking its leave. On his shoulder, Aya ruffled his feathers, shifting uneasily. 

He bristled. "It's not suicidal to know that you're liable to die sometime int he next few months when you've already seen _kids_ you've been _taking care of_ die of the exact same things!" He scowled, tugging him closer as he met his eyes, leaning so their noses were almost touching. "And I can't say much for being depressed, but that ties back into that entire _everyone dies_ thing I mentioned earlier. As for idiot, well I guess that just means they're your type doesn't it?" 

Pain flashed in his eyes at the mention of children, his jaw tightening. He swallowed hard, and then dropped his eyes. 

"Back home, I made sure _nobody knew_ that I had Geostigma. I don't think Denzel could have handled it and the kid only stayed with us because I found him and told him he should stay there. If he'd known the brat would have gone and done something stupid." He let out a rough little breath. "He's a street kid. Most of them were. There were a lot of orphans because of a mistake _I_ made in the things I haven't told you about. Aeris died trying to fix that self same mistake, and she was someone I'd promised to keep safe. Does it all make more sense now? Hmm?" His voice quieted from the angry tone until the last was level and quiet. 

He flinched. He actually flinched, despite all he'd ever faced before. He still managed to rally himself back together, though. "All of that is in the past. And your future lies before you, untainted by illness or mistakes. Are you really going to simply reject it to live in the past?" There wasn't any of the vehamence of before, despite his words. It was something of the same problem he'd been facing with An'desha, actually. The refusal to do anything except blame the past for the present, and never think of the future. 

"If I was doing that, I promise you that Sephiroth would be dead right now." 

"But you still blame your past for your refusal to take a chance on the future!" Frustration flared. He was _not_ good at these encouraging talks. 

He let out a rough breath. "You want me to take a chance on the future?" 

"Yes." And really, what was so hard about that? (Yes, he knew that it was actually rather difficult, but it made this easier to think that way.) 

He gave him a hard look, then moved, using his empty hand to snake a quick hand into his hair before leaning down to kiss him with careful intensity. He had zero desire to accidentally hurt him. 

He knew that even the slightest hesitation would cost him, and so he made a mental note to apologize thoroughly to An'desha later before reaching up to catch his hair in return and kiss him back. Frustrated by the entire situation, Cloud used that to kiss him deeper, giving him no chance to take any control of the kiss, hand sliding from where it gripped his arm to slid around his back and hold him flush against him with just as secure a hold as he was using before. 

Aya called out and leaped away, flapping for some height before gliding to land on Aeris, where she was very studiously _not_ looking at the pair. He stayed pliant, letting Cloud do what he wanted and responding to each motion. _This_ he could do, and he finally took advantage of the bond between the two of them to project warmth and affection and reassurance. 

Cloud pressed deeper into the kiss with a growl, fingers moving from jaw to tangle in his hair, holding him still for a moment before he pulled off the kiss, panting a bit as he tried to get his far flung emotions of frustration, arousal, fear, pleasure, and confusion back under wraps. He licked his lips, voice a rough murmur. "Like that?" 

He panted softly against him, pleased. "That's a start." 

Cloud took a shaky breath and leaned their foreheads together. "Are you even aware of how easily I could break you if I wasn't paying attention?" 

"And while I'm not quite as powerful as my forefather," as much as that rankled, "I could incinerate the majority of this city if I wished to. Including you." 

Cloud could almost feel that he missed the point. "Do you feel my hold, how strong it is?" 

Firesong sighed, and then surrounded Cloud with a mage-born whip of power to wrap around him and bind him equally tightly, though he didn't try to force him into a different position. "Yes." 

Cloud quirked his lips, relaxing slightly as something tight in his chest eased just a little. "I'm keeping a very light hold on you." 

Firesong shook his head. "Look, I'm no physical combatant, but I'm _not_ helpless. I know perfectly well how to defend myself. And if you tried to hold much harder, you'd have problems, as I've been building up physical shields as we speak." 

He studied his eyes, then relaxed further. "And you can hold those through other things?" 

He paused, then raised an eyebrow. "Once I set it into place, the only way to remove it would be conscious dismissal or something that completely drained me." 

He eased his hold off his hair and let out a soft breath. "Then that's a relief." Cautiously gives him a tighter squeeze. 

He waited until it reached a point just before the squeeze would be uncomfortable before firming up the shields, fortifying them against physical force. 

When he wasn't getting any squished mouse noises, he slowly relaxed and hugged tighter until he was _hugging_ , at which point he pressed his face against his neck, one distinct fear he'd had for a long time easing. 

He only had to strengthen the shields once against the estimated force, and only by a bit, reaching up to hug him back even as he released the bindng of magic around Cloud. 

"I'm not hurting you." There was definite relief in that and he rubbed his cheek against him. 

"No," he said, voice firm. "You're not." 

He lifted his head and looked at him, relaxing his hold. "That's a relief."


	11. Chapter 11

Seph was arching an eyebrow at the entire scene. Well that was one way to do things. 

_:Really, one of them should just hit the other over the head and haul them off, Shin'a'in style,:_ Vianna commented to Sephiroth. 

Sephiroth made a strangled noise and arched an eyebrow at Vianna. _:Is that a common practice there?:_

_:What, kidnapping your intended? Well, not really, but occasionally. I know Kerowyn has made jokes about being a barbaric Shin'a'in and threatening to hit Eldan over the head to carry him off for vacations before.:_ Her voice was amused. 

_:At home kidnappings are usually exclusive to weddings:_

_:Well, Kero didn't get the chance before she and Eldan got together, so I suppose it's much the same thing.:_

_:Friends and family kidnap the spouse for you and bring them for the wedding usually:_

She chuckled mentally. _:The Shin'a'in are self-sufficient people. They'd laugh at being presented with the spouse by someone else.:_

_:Well, it works both ways. There's just someone who is a kidnapee. It shows you have a family or friends that will stand by you. Or, in some cases, a spouse that doesn't mind sharing. I remember seeing that once.:_

_:An interesting sort of habit!:_ she said, laughing again. 

Sephiroth just made an amused noise and stroked her nose. _:I've never been invited to any of the weddings. At least I know I have a sword to offer. That's one of the important parts nobody skips.:_

_:A sword to offer?:_

_:Of course! Basically, you offer your personal or family blade with something along the lines of the oath 'I offer you my blade that it will protect you as I fight by your side' though it of course varies from person to person.:_

_:Hm. Very interesting. I don't believe the Shin'a'in are quite that formal, though you'd be better off asking An'desha or Kerowyn that than me,:_ she said thoughtfully. 

_:Everything about a marriage is formal. For informal you have ribbons and such.:_

_:Valdamaran customs are similarly formal,:_ she reassured him. _:But I think the customs of the Tayledras and the Shin'a'in are less so, or at least are more private. I don't know_. _:_

_:I know the tradition of having an escort into the bedchamber mostly fell out of favor in the last century. Though I'm sure they're still out there.:_

_:I believe that there are all sorts of odd traditions here, especially around the aristocracy._ Especially _considering the core tenant of Valdemar itself, so it isn't as if any of them were ordered to die out.:_ Sometimes 'there is no one, true way' could end up with a plethora of silly results. 

Seph snorted softly and looked to Zack. "Do you know of any of the odder wedding traditions?" 

Zack blinked and looked over. "Uh, you cover the bindings yet?" 

_:Bindings?:_ This time she projected for both their benefits, intrigued. 

"No, I hadn't."

"Oh! Well, the couple getting married usually get their hands tied together, and that's before the well wishers attack them with ribbons. One wedding I went to as a kid needed three people to untie the bride and groom, since you're not supposed to cut the cords." 

_:There's a tradition here that's similar, if a bit simpler, called hand-fasting. The couple has their hands tied together during the ceremony, and then the cord is kept. Should they ever wish to dissolve their marriage, it must be burned.:_ She tried to think of a few others. _:Then there are things like the Holderkin weddings, where the wife swears to be obedient to her husband and all of his other wives who are more senior to her, and he swears to do his duty as a husband to wife and Steading. But the Holderkin are annoying backward as it is, with Talia the only real exception.:_

Zack grinned. "Handfasting, the marriage of a year and a day!" 

Seph reached out to swat him. "There's a year and a day and then permanent. All marriages can be dissolved at the first year and a day if both are not happy."

_:I don't know too many details about all marriages,:_ she admitted. _:It's been a long time since I've studied regionalisms. The idea of a year and a day to give the participants a chance to dissolve it is a good idea, though.:_

Zack nodded at once and grinned. "Yeah, I mean, what if you change your mind? At least that way everyone knows it's _okay_." 

_:Unless, of course, it's an arranged marriage or a marriage of state,:_ she added.

That got a confused look from both men, and Zack ducked back into his bag, fishing something from the bottom of his pockets. "Oh! Hey Seph it's that Pearl Necklace you gave me!" 

_:Pearl necklace?:_ She leaned over to look, curious. She really didn't see either of them as the jewelry type, which meant it had to be useful in some way. 

Firesong blinked and lifted his head to look over toward the trio. 

Cloud blinked himself. "Zack, he gave you one of _those_?" 

Zack nodded and showed it to her at once, then grinned at Cloud. "Yep! No Silence for meee." 

Seph snorted. "I regretted it later." 

_:He gave you something to keep people from shutting you up?:_ she asked, amused at Sephiroth's expense. 

Zack grinned. "Yeah, and I can _always_ use my magic while I wear this, it's not possible for my magic to be blocked, which is the main use of Silence." 

Cloud snorted softly, finally easing back from Firesong. "Aren't you done moving your things yet?" 

Sephiroth shook his head. "Somehow I have doubt." 

"Hm." Firesong raised an eyebrow. "I wonder if it would be effective for mind-magic as well as true magic." 

Zack wandered over towards the pair. "Hell if I know, I think I got a second one in here somewhere." 

"Your collection of items continues to astound me," he said, coming a little closer, though he remained close to Cloud. 

Zack looked up and blinked. "I only got a couple hundred items total on me." 

"That's still quite a bit more than most people have ever seen, much less fathomed." 

"Nuh uh." He wrinkled up his nose. "I got more in the room, this is just the random stuff I never took out of my pockets." 

"And that makes it an even more impressive collection." 

_:Where do you_ keep _it all?:_ she said, wondering. 

Zack blinked and waved at his pocket. "Pockets. Nobody's figured out how to do a hundred of anything yet, but I can get close." He grinned. "Seph's got just as much crap, now _him_ you have to wonder about, he doesn't use pockets." 

That just prompted her to turn and nudge Sephiroth in question. _:Well?:_

He huffed softly. "I just act like I have pockets. I'm hardly the only one that's ever done that." 

Zack snorted. "Yeah yeah you just keep sayin that." He paused. "Wait, no, he's right, Aeris did it too. Dang it!" 

_:It's simple enough,:_ Aeris said nonchalantly, though she showed no sign of actually revealing the secret either. 

Cloud made a strangled noise of amusement. "If you ever meet Vincent, you'll see he's another, then again, he's got four other beings in there too, so he's definitely got extra." 

Zack just tossed his hands up in the air. "Okay okay I get it." 

"...four other beings?" 

Vianna's look echoed his. 

Cloud paused and turned that over. "I don't think I should have said that." He frowned a little. "Lets just say through certain events he has a bit too much company at all times." 

Firesong eyed him, then filed that away for future conversation. No need to press something Cloud obviously didn't want to talk about now that they'd just gotten over the previous issues. 

_:What about you?:_ Vianna looked to Cloud. _:Do you have an interesting collection with you?:_

Cloud looked to Vianna in obvious relief. "You could say that. I have all my materia and that's well over a hundred pieces. I tried to get one of everything." He smirked at Zack. "I even have one called Knights of the Round. ... But I hit harder than they do." 

Zack blinked at him in utter confusion. "That sounds like a summon. What's it like?" 

_:I rather think you'll like it,:_ Aeris said, adding, _:Of course, it's no dancing cactaur.:_

"...dancing cactaur?" he repeated faintly, a little smile quirking at his lips. 

Zack coughed and flashed Aeris a little glare. "You just keep that to yourself missy." 

Cloud snorted, then flicked the red orb at Zack. "There. It's mastered, and before you say anything _yes I know_ how powerful that is." 

She whickered at him in laughter, and (of course) promptly shared the memory with Cloud. 

Cloud paused, then blinked very slowly. "Zack, what the _hell_?" 

Zack immediately shot a pouty look at Aeris. "Oh _c'mon_." Then he huffed and focused on the materia in his hands, and nearly dropped it in shock. "Holy shit. I've never seen a materia this this _intense_." 

Zack's comment, of course, intrigued Firesong enough to move over and study it where it rested in Zack's hands. He didn't need to hold it himself, after all, though it helped if he wanted to turn something a specific way. 

Zack noticed and offered it. "I don't think I've ever handled a summon anywhere near this massive. I mean, even Hades is only half as powerful as this little guy and well, Seph, you're real familiar with Hades." 

"Yes I am. I'm more impressed at the idea of that being mastered." He didn't miss that the blond preened, even if it was him saying that.

He took it, eyes going wide. Even after investigating various materia that the other two had, this was...very different. 

_:I told you that you'd like it,:_ Aeris said, amused. 

"That you did." He reached over to put his hand on Aeris' head, grinning. "It's shiny." 

Sephiroth moved over to study the materia better, running a finger over it. "Yes, definitely impressive." 

Cloud gave a wan smile. "Aeris did a good half the work on it." 

_:Materia like me,:_ she replied. She didn't know if materia would _still_ work for her, though. 

Cloud turned his head, eyeing her. "We should see if you can still cast later." 

"I don't know why she shouldn't be able to," Firesong said absently. "Companion magic works differently from human magic, but not too differently." 

Cloud blinked. "I meant using materia." 

He looked up. "As far as I can tell, materia tends to be the _shape_ of a spell. The power for it comes from the caster." 

"Well, obviously." Cloud blinked at him. "For that kind of materia anyway." 

"Therefore, if her magic has remained essentially unchanged, or even only mildly altered, there should be no difficulty for her to cast." 

Cloud nodded slightly. "Good to know. Still weird seeing her in that shape though." 

_:It's still odd_ being _in this shape,:_ she admitted. _:The lack of hands could become frustrating.:_

_:It does,:_ Vianna said dryly. _:There are only a few situations similar to set any sort of precedence for you, too.:_

Cloud patted her. "At least you can't distract me when I'm driving anymore. I kept expecting you to crash me." 

_:Instead she'll be the one to carry you around,:_ Vianna said merrily. _:Though I'm not sure I see the wisdom in crashing yourself.:_

He snorted. "It was my bike. Which I built. I didn't build _her_." 

Firesong had heard a few things on what a "bike" was, and so didn't ask about that, at least. "How did she distract you, if she was dead at the time?" Though he was aware that she seemed to be able to do things that quite a lot of dead people couldn't. 

"She was puling my consciousness into the lifestream." He huffed. "When a guy is going ninety on a dirt road you're not supposed to _do_ that." 

Zack immediately perked and waved his hands around. "Ninety, really? I only ever got one to boost up to eighty with mods on it. Then again, I never did much after I got into SOLDIER so I was workin with inferior goods, but for serious?" 

He raised an eyebrow. "I've only heard of people leaving their bodies voluntarily - except for one situation, which...well, not at all the same thing." 

_:I wouldn't have let you get hurt,:_ she said reassuringly. 

Cloud huffed at Aeris, but seized on the chance to talk about his baby. "Definitely. I'd have to rework the powersource to do anything even a bit like that here unless I used a materia base again. What do you think, ohhh I'll have to show you prints." 

Zack gave a little grin back and shook his head. "Paper first Spike." 

Sephiroth just let out a put upon breath. "You two are not going to degenerate into mechanics while I stare at you blankly. That is _not_ my leaning, recall?" 

Aeris tried to look put-upon (a bit difficult in her current form), but helped the conversation along by projecting an image to Zack of Fenrir, all gleaming lines and power. 

"I don't have even the slightest clue about it," Firesong agreed, though he was cheerful. 

Sephiroth made an amused noise. "They're talking about a land machine that goes faster than Vianna." He patted her to show this didn't bother him. 

Zack practically bounced in place, patting Seph before moving to hook an arm across the blond's shoulders. "Okay you and me are gonna meander to me and Seph's rooms so you can sketch that pretty thing I just got shown out in every single detail." 

He raised an eyebrow at the thought. "Interesting." And it _was_ , but he had the feeling that the conversation would involve quite a few things that required a great deal of prior information. Instead he turned to Cloud. "When you're done, have your Aeris contact me, and I can bring you to meet the gryphons, if you like." 

Cloud paused, holding Zack up as the man was visibly working to drag him off. "Gryphons?" 

"I told you a bit about them earlier. As I said, I think you'll like them." He smiled warmly. 

Cloud was going to say something, and yelped when Zack picked him up. "Hey! I call foul!" 

"You can do that after I'm done with you." Zack just grinned at him and continued off. "Seriously though." 

Sephiroth looked after them, hearing the noise of protest from Zack as Cloud let him get a bit further before punching him in the shoulder. "Zack is going to be all bruises later, I'm almost sure of it."


	12. Chapter 12

He watched Zack carry Cloud off, expression bemused, before finally shaking his head. "I...didn't quite expect that." 

Sephiroth snorted and shook his head. "I did. Zack's been doing things like that to the man since I knew he existed. Though I have the feeling that he hits a good deal harder now than he did then." 

"He was afraid of hurting me." It was spoken under his breath as he continued to look after the pair. 

"Of course he was. Compared to him, you're horribly fragile." 

"I established physical shields around myself. It mitigated much of the situation." 

"Which is likely why he relaxed." He looked sideways at him then. "I gave An'desha a ribbon." 

"I noticed," he said, looking over with a faint smile. "A Valdamaran might not have, but hair ornaments are important to my people." 

He nodded slightly. "Ribbons usually only end up in the hair of women back on Gaia... but when you have as much hair as I do it's hardly going to be an issue is it?" He quirked an eyebrow. "Are you going to go after Strife? If you are, I should warn you that Zack will be a royal pain to make sure that you're both happy." 

"I..." He paused, and closed his eyes. "I wish to. But I need to speak with An'desha first, so that we may _both_ clear things up between us." Then he opened his eyes again as his usual grin flashed into existence. "And he can't be too much worse than a Vale full of matchmaking _hertasi_." 

"He's _Zack_." He snorted softly then studied the man a moment, more seriously. "You realize, no matter what comes to conclusion, you've been declared, by default, into family by Zack's eyes, which I count as fair enough to allow for myself." 

He paused and raised an eyebrow. "To allow you for what?" 

He never was good at this. He waved a hand, embarrassed in a strange way. "He's already a hairbreath from declaring you family, I wouldn't have issue with that."

The almost...embarrassed expression on Sephiroth's face intrigued him. "Would that make us family as well, then?" Oh, he couldn't leave a good button alone, especially when it came to someone who seemed to only rarely have such buttons. 

"Of course." He paused, the answer reflexive rather than considered. He hadn't meant to say it like that. 

The promptness of the reply startled him as well, but he rallied quickly. "How wonderful, Kinsman!" A thought occurred to him, and his eyes sparkled. "Maybe we should see about making you, Zack, and Cloud Wingbrothers to the Tayledras as well..." 

He flushed, just the tiniest bit, at his own abruptness, then arched an eyebrow. "What does that entail?" 

"Swearing several oaths," he said, "but they're rather open, and shouldn't interfere with anything else you may have sworn. Elspeth and Dirk were both made Tayledras wingsibs, and neither had any issue with the oaths. As for benefits..." He smiled a little. "You would be part of a Clan. Most likely mine, as I'm the one issuing the invitation. It would give you free passage amongst the Tayledras Vales, as you would be a part of k'Treva, and should you ever need support in a way any Tayledras can render, it will be given you." 

He considered that a moment. "I've never sworn any oaths to a people." 

"There are responsibilities that would be required of you in return," he added. "To render that same aid, and to help with the charge laid upon all of the Clans - to help cleanse the land of tainted magics." 

He quieted for a beat. "That would be quite the reversal, but I can't say as I'd mind." 

He decided not to question beyond that, but smiled instead. "I will, of course, extend the invitation to Zack and Cloud, as well as contacting my Clan to learn the exact ritual and oaths. But until then...be welcome, Sephiroth k'Treva." 

He smiled and inclined his head. "You've finally given me a family name, you realize." 

He smiled back. "I imagine that, left to his own devices for much longer with you, your Zack would have done much the same. Though this family is much larger." 

He snorted softly. "I have no idea how large yours is to be truthful. More than a few things I've seen and heard from you makes me think of Wutai, to say nothing of the language, and they certainly sprawled." 

"Of my immediate family, I am the only child. Of my whole Clan...there are several hundred of us. Mages and scouts, cooks and craftsmen, not to mention our nonhuman allies as well. Of all of the Tayledras..." He shook his head. "I have no way of knowing. We started out as five Clans, but like the Shin'a'in, branched." 

He tilted his head slightly, looking at him. "I was alone, so that is a bit difficult for me to fathom. The closest I acquired were my SOLDIERs." 

Firesong smirked. "A Clan isn't always bound by blood. The Kaled'a'in are a remnants from a time when Tayledras and Shin'a'in were one people. They were yet another Clan, called k'Leysha - rather, the Spirit Clan." 

He inclined his head. "Oh they were all bound by blood. I could tell without seeing, typically." He shook his head at once. "They were just not born of the same family I was, that's all, so I never did meet them all once they were brought into things." 

That made him pause. "Pardon?" 

He let out a puff of breath. "I was the only one born SOLDIER. Others, like Zack, were volunteers into it and I really don't think any of them were informed of the fact that some of me was used as a stabilizing agent to the process. Otherwise people were liable to go insane or... mutate. Though those parts, at least, were mentioned." He paused. "Cloud has far more of me than anyone else I've met though, and I truly do not want to know anymore about it than he's already shoved at me." 

There was a pause as he digested all of the tantalizing bits in that sentence, but finally decided to persue the original topic. "How-" Then he paused. "Something like a Change, then? Using you to Change them from?" Only not quite Changechildren in the way this world knew them. 

"It was a process." He sighed softly. "Between the Mako and myself." He waved a hand. "Even when I was young I knew when they were fiddling with someone new using anything from me. Though I didn't make sense of it until later as I had other concerns when I was a child that had precedence." 

"You could still sense those parts of yourself, then?" Of course, _he_ didn't know too much about what happened if a mage Changed something while using elements of something else. 

"Only in others. Unused samples were about as connected to me as a random rock." He shook his head. "It's strange only to feel Zack and Cloud here, though I have Vianna blocking Cloud as much as possible." 

"A line of magic that connects to everyone who has come in contact with it." He paused as something tickled at his thoughts. "Where have I-" Then his eyes landed on Vianna and he froze, stock-still. She nodded once. "The _Web_!" 

He glanced sideways at him, then to Vianna. "What haven't I been explained to about concerning that? I've heard reference to it but nothing more." 

"It's a spell that was put into place by my Forefather Vanyel," he breathed, eyes still wide. "It was based on an earlier version, which had four Herald-Mages as Guardians who monitored different quadrents of the Kingdom, in order to send Heralds where they were first needed. But when the Herald-Mages began being killed off, he needed something else that could still serve to guard." 

_:All Companions are connected,:_ Vianna said, taking up the narrative, and she brought his mind into hers for a second, showing him - so very faintly - the ghostly lines of power that interconnected _all_ Companions, including Aeris now that she was here. _:Vanyel prevailed upon his Companion Yfandes, and the Grove-Born of the time, as well as the other Companions and the other three Guardians, and set a spell that uses those connections as a baseline. That is where the beginnings of the Heartstone beneath Haven came from. He created it, and it has powered the Web since. When there is trouble, a Foreseer will See it in time to send out a warning. When a Herald with a particular Gift will be needed somewhere, he or she will go there, even if they find themselves practically throwing themselves into the saddle naked with the need to be there as soon as possible.:_

He tilted his head slightly, eyes half closing. "You've been blocking me off from it, haven't you?" It was almost more statement than question, that murmur. "I assure you it wouldn't drive me around the twist." 

_:You aren't ready for it yet.:_ That _was_ statement. _:Close, but not yet. Cloud's arrival will actually help some, once he and Aeris get a better hold on that connection of his, so it isn't wide open.:_

Firesong was oblivious to the comment, still thinking it over. "It is as if you created a Web of your own, connecting you to your SOLDIERs and all of those who shared that element, whether it was voluntary or not. It was said that my Forefather was much like that, in which, even before he became a Guardian and created the Web as it is, he could connect to _any_ Herald, whether they had magic or no." 

He frowned at Vianna slightly, not sure what she was basing that estimation off of. Then he glanced to Firesong, who seemed... enchanted? "I never mentioned it to my minders, I shudder to think of what they might have done then. But it made it simple to keep track of the men, make sure they were getting enough leave time and such." 

He blinked, and shook his head a bit. "Likely it was the intelligent thing to do. That's not an ability you want to be bandying about. Even most of the Heralds don't know the extent of the Web, though they know that it works. Especially when the Death Bell rings." 

"I kept _most_ of my abilities from them. Anytime they found one they picked at it mercilessly until I was sick of even considering the concept of it." 

He smiled, a little ruefully. "I'll do my best to keep from doing that, then." 

He waved a hand at once. "I really doubt you could." He looked sideways at him. "You're not of their sort." He hesitated a moment, then decided to move through. "The most clear instance, for example, was when my healing was discovered. The speed of it that is. I know, from the following time frame, that I have _very_ good regenerative abilities concerning myself, and I never scar." 

He paled a touch. He had a rather vivid imagination - as well as experience helping Starblade, Nyara, and An'desha deal with what Falconsbane had done to all of them. 

He quirked his lips, just a little, and looked away, out over the grass. "Essentially everyone where I'm from has two names, I did not. I was an experiment and until I was old enough to be useful for military efforts, often treated as such." 

He studied him for a long moment, then spoke, oddly serious. "Where I'm from, we are given childhood usenames by our parents. They are generally simple, and childish, as suits our age. As we become adults, we either select a new usename for ourselves, or earn one due to our actions. And though it is rare, if a Tayledras feels as if he has changed to a point where he is no longer the person who he once was, he may change his usename." A thoughtful breath. "There was a man I knew named Starblade, who underwent such trials of spirit that he considered changing his name to Brokenblade. At the same time, a woman who was so traumatized that she had renamed herself Silence found herself again, and gained a ne name of Frostfire." A little smile touched his lips. "While the Tayledras don't have as many sayings as the Shin'a'in, one goes: 'A name isn't what other people call you, but what you respond to.'" Silver eyes looked to Sephiroth, pausing a second before venturing one more thing. "Maybe it is time for the man who was simply Sephiroth to die, and for Sephiroth k'Treva to be born in his place." 

He looked back to him and quirked his lips, then moved to rest his hand on his arm. "And yet I thought I'd already said that. After all, you've given me the name, you're certainly not going to get to take it back." 

"I'm glad," he said, a small pleased smile spreading. "Wingbrother." 

He inclined his head, relaxing in some indecipherable way. "Well met." 

"Wind to thy wings," he said cheerfully, absently calling Aya back to perch on his arm, then transferring him up to his shoulder. The firebird chirped and proceeded to preen a few strands or Firesong's hair. 

He smiled slightly and turned his eyes to the bird. "I never did find out how you two were connected exactly." 

"Aya, you mean?" He stroked a few fingers through the white feathers. 

He nodded slightly, "I've long since aware that birds are important to you, just by how you talk, and that you call him your bondbird. How is that exactly? Is that like Vianna is to me or something else?" 

"It is...similar. Aya, unlike the Companions, is simply a bird. Well, a bondbird. They were created a very long time ago, altered from wild stock. They're larger than their wild cousins, more intelligent, and calmer. They're also more social than wild birds," he added. "Species that, in the wild, would be hunting each other down for food often roost side-by-side, or play games with each other. They're magically enhanced, and actually are capable of mindspeech as well, though it's different from speaking with a fully-intelligent being." He turned worked his fingers into Aya's breastfeathers to a contented sigh. "Every once in a while a new type of bird will be adapted into bondbird stock - I did that with the firebirds, and ended up with Aya. He has several siblings and other relatives at home, but he worked the best for me. Part of the difference is that he isn't a predator - Tayledras generally work with raptors, or at least meat-eaters." 

He nodded slightly. "It's a shame you'll never get a look at Chocobo then. I noticed Cloud's ah, ramble." He waved a hand. "So like a thinner thread of the same sort then, in essence, That makes it clearer."

"His passion for them is rather invigorating," Firesong said wryly. "Of course, he happened to come across one of the few people here who can really understand birds in general. Darkwind is, of course, close to Vree, as well as the gryphons. It's Treyvan and Hydona that I truly wish to introduce him to." 

"And you will later, after they're done making with the giddy for the motorcycles." He shook his head slightly. "It's truly amusing, that." 

"I suppose Zack learned something about carrying people off after having the same thing done to him so often here," he said with an amused smile. 

He blinked, then immediately shook his head. "No, that's a skill he's long had. 

He chuckled, amused. "Has he ever sucessfully used it on you?" 

"Once. It helped that I was rather drugged at the time and he was kidnapping me from medical persons." 

He tilted his head thoughtfully. "That doesn't seem as much of a kidnap as a rescue." His voice was carefully neutral right now. He could easily crack a joke about overenthusiastic Healers if it was necessary, but from what Sephiroth had said, the ones he knew were overenthusiastic in a far less healthy way. 

He quirked his lips. "I suppose it was, He always means well, in any case. He doesn't know even the half of things, outside what he's seen at least." 

"But he understands many of the results, it seems. At least enough to work around them." A pause. "Most of the time." 

He quirked his lips. "When he doesn't work around them, it's usually because he knows he shouldn't." He paused and waved his hand. "Or he can't figure out why a barrier would be in a certain place. One of those, for instance, is why he's so timid with me in our relationship. He hasn't figured out the causes of my aversions." 

"Perhaps speaking to him of them would help," he said. He didn't bother to question what those aversions _were_. It didn't matter to him, nor was it any of his business. 

He shook his head slightly. "There's no need, honestly, and it would just upset him. Especially because he was around to see _my_ reactions, if not the events." 

"Then perhaps he should be assured that _he_ doesn't cause similar reactions, even if only the least noticable." 

He laughed softly. "No, he's right enough he won't. I've told him that but I'm not sure he understands. He'll calm down now that I've taken a bit of intiative at him I hope." 

"That was an entertaining bit of initiative," he commented, smirking again. 

He made an amused noise. "Blame An'desha for that." 

He laughed then. "I saw that little motion. It shouldn't surprise me that he was that perceptive." 

"He and Zack were talking earlier, I would be stunned if Zack didn't confide to some extent after seeing the ribbon." 

He stayed quiet for then, with an almost sad little smile on his face. 

He turned to study his face for a long moment, then squeezed his arm. "He was still thinking about you even when he accepted it, so don't be too sad." 

He blinked and looked to him. "I-" He paused, then forged ahead. "I'm not even quite sure that that is the issue any longer. Or at least _part_ of it isn't the issue. I love An'desha very much. But now..." He shook his head a bit. "I am lifebonded to Cloud," he said quietly, knowing that Sephiroth could hear. "And be it whether I would care for him without the lifebond or the effect of its existence, I have begun to love him as well." 

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow, head tilting slightly. "I don't see why you're worried then." 

He paused, and shook his head slightly. "The Tayledras...we're different from the Shin'a'in in many ways." Seeking solace, he started to pet Aya again. "A relationship made up of more than two people is rare. Not impossible," he granted, "but rare. We're more like the hawks we are named after, at least in terms of relationships. Especially after we've commited." 

"Then I suppose you need to decide if you're capable of being devoted to two people." He squeezed his arm. "I know it's a difficult thing to determine about yourself. But not impossible, you just have to be honest with yourself and grant if it's worth it to you."

He chuckled lowly. "A difficult prospect, for one who until recently never settled down with anyone beyond trading a few extra feathers." And An'desha hadn't accepted a primary from him yet. 

"Then I suppose you have to decide if you're willing too, don't you?" He studied him for a moment. "You seem very young sometimes." 

"Tayledras tend not to show their age," he said wryly. "But in terms of years...I think I am not much older than Zack. Eighteen years." 

"Then you are rather young." He shook his head slightly. "It explains a bit." 

"Not too young," he said, slightly irked. 

"There's no such thing as too young." He rolled a shoulder. "But it does explain a bit of your temper." 

He raised an eyebrow in mock-offense. "Just _what_ do you mean by that?" 

"You get angry easily at times." He rolled a shoulder. "I'm sure you've noticed that there's a point when people seem to calm about that before it kicks back on in later life." 

He raised an eyebrow, mercurial emotions changing again. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about." Despite his words, he was smiling a bit. 

"Of course not." He quirked his lips the slightest bit. "At least you don't make me feel old. And to think, when I first heard of you I was horrified that you and Zack might get along." 

"Oh, we get along wonderfully for the most part. The issue is usually that he's so _busy_." He waved a hand airily. 

He snorted and shook his head. "No, you don't understand, My initial thought was horror in that you would compound him. Instead, he's so busy he's finally wearing off his restless hyper, which before he directed all at _me_." 

"Ahh, I see," he said, nodding. "That is one thing the Valdamarans seem to be good at. Keeping people _busy_." 

He snorted softly and shook his head. "He'd have done it in Midgar too, but _there_ he was running out of things to learn through hands on approaches. Here, well, he's practically camped out around the Karsites, that I know for sure, and apparently he's got another fledged circle of friends in the other sections. I'm not better, you see me often because of the magic thing, but I've spent plenty of time with the military lots around my classes." 

"I saw that you get along well with Kero." That got a grin. "She's a good sort, especially with her connection to Tale'sedrin. She's more Shin'a'in than not." Which was a _good_ thing. 

He made an amused noise. "Of course she's a good sort. Shame that Zack's reluctant to come do tactical games with us though..." He shook his head. "It's nice not standing out here in the same manner I did as home, they aren't intimidated before I even get to them." 

"You're lucky enough that you arrived when you did - _after_ we arrived. So the Valdamarans got the opportunity to take most of their gawking out on us instead." 

He snorted. "I'm used to being gawked at, that, at least, isn't what I meant. I _meant_ that people aren't running scared or nervous because I'm me. Because of appearances, well, that doesn't bother me in the least. Back home I'm sad to say my reputation was well compounded by the press." 

"Ah. That appears to be the role that the Karsites have taken here, even with that new alliance." 

He inclined his head. "It's strangely refreshing. Though I notice that the Karsites are better received here then I would have been in Wutai at least, so that's something." 

"That's partially with the help of the Heralds." He nodded toward the salle. "With Herald Alberich around, they've learned to accept the fact that not all Karsites are evil." 

"Alberich is a good man, of course he's had a good influence." He quirked his lips and followed the nod with his eyes. "I can't help but find it amusing that nobody knows how to class my set though. Especially _before_ you decided to help my clothes be stolen." 

" _I_ had nothing to do with your clothes vanishing," he corrected. "I merely provided the change of clothing." 

He quirked an eyebrow. "In any case I'm sure the more modest among the masses will thank you." 

"Perhaps," he granted. "On the other hand, others will be thankful to me for providing a few more colors for you." 

He made an amused noise. "Green in adverse to just black?" 

"I'm working you gradually toward full colors." 

He arched an eyebrow. "They couldn't even manage that with a dress uniform." 

"Do you see _me_ condoning their Whites?" He threw his hands up in exasperation. 

"I meant back home." He laughed then, smirking. "In Midgar. The typical dress uniform was two shades of blue, black, white, and yellow. Mine ended up black and silver with blue. And at that only under my medallions." 

He paused. "Ah." Well. "It's still a challenge I'm willing to take up for now." 

He smirked. "And it was SOLDIER designed so there was quite a bit of detail." It was an amused murmur. "After all, you have me in four colors now." 

That made him arch a brow. "Four?" 

"Two types of black and two types of green." He ran a finger over one of the green patterns. "There's lighter set under the dark. Though I wouldn't be shocked if you couldn't pick out the difference... I've noticed most don't." 

The other brow joined the first. "Well, your eyesight is quite a bit better than most." 

"Yes it is." He nodded and settled back on his heels. "Sometimes I wonder how normal sigh is for people, but I'm fairly sure I wouldn't care for it." 

"I doubt you would," he agreed. "It would likely be as jarring as losing Mage-Sight for me." 

"Dampening of any of my senses I would find... off putting. After all, that's how I read one's moods. Mostly." 

"There are spells which can do exactly that," he warned." 

"Wonderful. That's one sense I _haven't_ had damaged enough to have to compensate for in the past." 

He smiled back at him, a hint of a challenge in his eyes. "Would you care for help learning to compensate?" 

He grimaced. "I have this sense that you would take too much joy in that." 

"Only if you ask it of me," he reassured. "Alternately, I imagine that you could speak with any of the other mages here to work with them." 

He shook his head. "No, I know you best." He waved a hand. "If I do that, which I should, if for no other reason than precaution, I'd prefer it be someone I trust somewhat." 

That made him smile again. "Whenever - or if - you wish, I'll be glad to help." 

He considered, turning over his schedule in his head. "I would get it out of the way sooner than later." He peered upwards. "Though... are you hungry?" 

He hummed thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind something to eat. It should help with energy levels as well." 

He nodded and looked back to him. "It should." He looked sideways at him. "Preferences?" 

"None at the moment," he said. "Well, none that I can satisfy here." 

"What did you want to get?" 

"Chava." It was a longing sigh. 

He tilted his head. "What does it taste like?" 

"I'm not even sure how to describe it. Something like a tea, but darker, heavier. There's an element of chocolate as well, and a slightly nutty flavor..." He shook his head. "There's nothing quite like it here." 

He paused, then promptly changed direction. "This way then." 

He perked up as Sephiroth turned away and followed after him. "If you have anything even _close_ to it, then I'll be so very grateful." 

"I might. I'll just have to mix a couple things." He shook his head slightly. "I had ah... as much as I could carry since we were leaving on a mission of indeterminate length to an area in the mountains." 

"Had I been given more warning when coming here, I would have brought chava with me as well," he said wryly. "Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity." 

"Well, I have no access to anymore at all once I'm out, but I can make it stretch for a time yet, especially the chocolate." He paused. " _Zack_ had chocolate as well, so that will last a rather long time I'd say." 

"Then I appreciate this all the more," he said, nodding in thanks. 

"Well, how sweet do you prefer?" His voice was wry. "There's bitter, sweet, and _highly_ sweet." 

"Sweet, if you please." 

He nodded slightly. "I prefer bitter myself, the milk added tends to soften it enough to satisfy me." He quirked his lips, heading into the rooms, hearing Cloud and Zack going back and forth, utterly embedded in their topics across the room from the doorway to outside. 

He smiled at the sound of their voices as he and Sephiroth came closer. Alright, he didn't understand half the words they were speaking, even if it wasn't a language he was only haltingly familiar with. 

Sephiroth paused to listen for a beat before going over to dig into one of his bags, pulling out a pair of packets. That would make enough for the four of them. They weren't small. Then he moved to check that they had heated water before collecting cups. Which seemed more numerous than last he'd looked. Had Zack been collecting again? Shaking his head, he just half filled each cup with a mix he figured would get the right amount of each, then started distributing the water. 

Firesong followed him in, pausing to hold the door open for Vianna as she came right in after him. The servants had pretty much given up on taking care of the hoofprints in the floor in this particular suite. 

He stirred them, the widest cup a little shallower on the liquid than the other four. Once he was satisfied that the thick chocolate and hazelnut coffee mixture was thoroughly finished, he moved to put a pair of cups next to the distracted two, then put Vianna's on the table closest to the door. Only then did he get his and Firesong's, handing one to the other man. 

_:Thank you, Chosen,:_ she said, pleased, and proceeded to enjoy her drink calmly. 

Firesong cradled the cup in his hands, breathing the smell in. Different, but closer to chava than he'd smelled anywhere around here. Finally he took a sip, closing his eyes in pleasure. Oh, that was nice... 

He smiled slightly and sipped his own cup, catching that the other two had reeled their cups in without anything like a sign of notice. He patted Vianna lightly. "Now we can go after food when we're finished mmm?" 

"Mmm." It was a contented noise, eyes closed as he savored the flavor. 

He chuckled softly, then put a hand between the man's shoulderblades to steer him into a chair. 

He followed the gesture without a problem, still concentrating on the taste. Finally he managed to rally his mind again. "This is...not chava, but almost as good. Thank you." 

"Only almost hmm?" He wasn't upset though, more reading the reactions. The man was practically melting over the drink. 

"Very close," he said firmly. "But not quite." 

"I didn't assume it would be the same." He shook his head, oddly relaxed for how hectic the day had turned. He sipped his cup, glancing to see that Vianna was enjoying hers, 

Firesong just nodded before going back to communing with his cup. 

She looked up as she felt his attention on her, licking away some excess. _:It's very good,:_ she agreed. _:-Different from anything you can get here, at least yet.:_

"I sincerely hope that the yet is justified, I would be rather sad if I ran out and had to rely on... local teas." He wrinkled his nose. 

Her gaze was thoughtful. _:Haven't you found anything you consider good yet? You've been looking for a while.:_

"I'm picky Vianna. It took me going to Wutai after the war to get any teas I enjoyed." He shook his head slightly. "Though some here are passable." 

_:Remind me - did Kero ever get you those teas from her Clan?:_

"I think she intended to, but I don't believe she remembered to give them to me.' 

_:You should go talk to Eldan, then,:_ she said firmly. _:You might like those!:_

He arched an eyebrow at her. "I will." He waved a hand at Firesong. "But not just now." 

_:Of course not. You're playing host. But it's something to remember.:_

He paused, just looking at her. "I'm what?" 

_:Playing host.:_ She sent him a smile. _:Making sure that everyone has something to drink a comfortable place to sit or stand...:_

He just shot her a scowl, not sure how to feel about that observation. 

She sent him back another big smile, whickering laughter. 

"Oh hush Vianna." He waved a hand at her, uncomfortable to realize that _was_ what he'd been doing. He didn't know how he felt about that. 

Firesong peeked up, curious about what was bothering Sephiroth. 

He caught the glance and ran his fingers once through his bangs before settling further back into his seat. "She simply pointed out I was 'playing host'." 

A puzzled blink. "Is this a bad thing?" 

"I.... don't." 

_:It isn't a bad habit to develop.:_ Her voice was reasonable, projected so that Firesong could hear as well. 

He scowled slightly and sipped at his cup. "I'm not the hosting sort." 

He rolled his eyes. "You are among friends. There's nothing to be upset about." 

He finally just sighed. "I suppose."


	13. Chapter 13

Even as the pair of archers peeled away to either side, still firing through the rain, the hedge wizard they'd recruited sent his mind into the ground, removing the tiny blocks he'd set up earlier and allowing the ground to be saturated with even more water than it had. It rippled out just behind the riders, allowing the horses to keep their footing even as it turned the rest of the footing into deep sludge. 

Sephiroth bounced up as he felt the change below him and flipped a bit to avoid the arrows, soaked, but pleased with how well their exercise had been going. They'd hemmed him slightly earlier, but now they had to contend with the aerial mess. Spell or not to spell? Deciding to, that idea was rather suddenly circumvented by a sickening twist as the cushion of energy keeping him off the ground twisted away from him and vanished as his energy just in general revolted. Shame he was off the ground when that happened, as he wasn't exactly in a frame of mind to catch himself. Sephiroth wasn't the only one to fall, but he did have the furthest to go. Catching sight of the collapsing hedge-wizard, one of the archers immediately pulled her horse around to retrace her path, heading straight for Sephiroth. The horse took the suddenly-deeper mud without a problem, lunging forward at high speed. As Sephiroth hit the mud, she leapt from her horse to land next to him, pulling him up to keep him from sinking too far. This was _not_ part of the practice. 

No, it was definitely not part of the practice, and he just sort of.... drooped in the general direction of the pull, not sure what just happened as he tried to figure out why he had something sticking him in the side, and where the dull pain of a decently deep cut came from. Had someone hit him? He blinked a few times, struggling to focus. 

The archer pulled him closer, slinging his arm over her shoulder. "Ye alright, Sephiroth?" They'd given up on honorifics not long after first having been pounded into the ground. 

He blinked again, looking around before looking back, frowning some. "I didn't get hit did I?" 

"Not by us," she said honestly, hauling him toward her horse and using him to help the both of them out of the circle of heavy mud. 

He waded after her, feeling unsteady, and he drifted a hand towards his shoulder. "I think I'm bleeding." 

"Let's get inta the salle an' take a look, then," she said, holding the horse still and using his weight to pull them both up onto more sold ground. 

He nodded, frowning. "If none of you hit me why did I go down?" 

"Tha's what we're hoping ye'll tell us," she said, gesturing toward the hedge wizard. "He dropped too." 

He focused over on the man. "Magic?" He rubbed his shoulder, blinking at her again. "No. Wait. I'm having trouble thinking." 

The hedge wizard was recovering as they spoke. "It was...odd," he said, shaking his head. "Everything was...unbalanced, empty." 

"Are you having trouble thinking?" It was a murmur, and tilting his head made dizziness rush him. "...I think I hit a rock." 

"Not as much any more," he said, shaking his head. "But getting inside would be a good thing. Especially if you're hurt." 

"Right." He grimaced. "My head's not better. Concussion?" He frowned, trying to guage himself. 

"Possibly," the archer replied. She pulled him into the salle finally, shoving him down onto one of the benches. "There's a first-aid kit in the Captain's office," she said, heading there even as she spoke. 

He turned his head slowly to peer at his shoulder where he was dead certain he felt blood. 

_:Chosen?:_ Vianna's voice was about as woozy as his was, disoriented and not entire sure about herself. _:Are you alright?:_

_:Think I hit a rock.:_

_:Think I did too,:_ she said almost ruefully. _:All of the mages were hit like this, I think. And the Companions.:_

_:When I fell Vianna.:_

_:You know that stirred-up and shaken-around and beaten thing that just happened?:_

_:I think so. You weren't hurt?:_

_:I fell too.:_ There was a reflective pause. _:My hip hurts. I'm pretty sure I bruised it. And all the other mages and Companions got knocked over too.:_

_:I was in the air.:_ He struggled a bit and was relieved that his thoughts were a little less meddled. And he needed to stop that bleeding... _:Zack, An'desha?:_

_:Zack...he was with the Karsite, Karal. I think they're both okay. And An'desha's fine.:_ A pause, then unsteady amusement. _:You'll want to wait before checking on Firesong and Cloud, though.:_

He looked around for the archer. If they weren't bringing medical to him he was going to it. He stood, finding himself badly unsteady for a moment before heading that way. _:So it's safe to say they're not hurt either.:_

"Hey, sit back down!" The hedge wizard reached out to try and tug him back down. "She's coming back." 

As if predicted, the archer stepped out of the office then, still talking to Kerowyn. "Look, I don' know wha' 'appened, I jus' know that both o' them went down a' once. An' Sephiroth took it bad an' is hurt." 

_:They're fine, other than the disorientation.:_

_:I'm bleeding still.:_ He sat, blinking at the wizard and honestly not sure when he'd gotten there. 

_:Let her take care of your shoulder, and it'll stop.:_ Made sense, right? 

"Doesn't look too bad," she said, pushing the shoulder of his shirt down, looking the wound over and using some water and a cloth to clean away the worst of the muck from their bout. "It must have had a hard edge and you gashed yourself a bit. Here, let's pull that off and we'll get you bound up." She tugged at the bottom of his shirt, the hedge wizard helping.

_:I am. You haven't repeated yourself have you?:_ That would be bad, as he didn't think he was that muddled. Then he realized he was being stripped and changed his mind about that one. "I feel like an idiot." 

_:Only once,:_ she reassured him. 

"Ye got yer head knocked about," the archer said calmly. "Jus' let me get yer shoulder done, an' we'll see about getting somethin' for yer head." 

"I'd try a cure but if I'm concussed, I think I might be, then that would... not work even if I didn't feel everything go odd earlier." He looked to Kero. "Is your Companion fine too?" 

"All of them got shaken up, but she managed to brace herself. _I_ didn't feel a thing," she replied, heading for the doorway. "And I'll bet that a Council's about to get called in order to panic about this." 

A pad was placed against the wound once it was cleaned, and the archer started to secure it with confident, practiced hands. "That should do ye for now," she said, checking the bindings to make sure they weren't too tight. The Skybolts were used to doctoring themselves and each other. 

He nodded, then decided not to do that. "Thank you. If it is, tell them to give Firesong a few more minutes before getting his expert opinion. He was _busy_." 

That made her pause, and she laughed at that, shaking her head. "I'll make sure they know that." A snort of laughter. "That's just like him, too." Heading out, she stepped aside just in time for Vianna to come in, favoring her right hind leg as she did. 

He immediately extended his hands to her, making a displeased noise. "You didn't have to come here on that." 

_:I was close as it was. And staying in here's much more comfortable than standing out in the mud and rain.:_

The archer snorted. "Jes' keep from straining that arm, wouldya? I know ye heal quickly, but still." She turned to Vianna then. "Keep on eye on 'im, he knocked his head about." Standing again, she gave him a lazy little salute, and then headed out as well, though she readed for the stables instead of the Palace. 

He peered after the archer, then petted Vianna when she stopped moving. "I suppose. And I suppose too that the spar is quite effectively done." 

_:Probably. They'll want to wait until you're healthy and not getting interrupted by whatever-it-was.:_ She nudged his unhurt shoulder gently. 

He sighed and petted her side. "I was having fun too." 

_:I think they were, too.:_ It was good to see him enjoy himself, especially in an area like combat. 

He paused. "I really must have hit my head hard, I sounded like Zack just now." 

She snorted, amused at that. _:Which part?:_

"Whining about having my fun interrupted." He paused and realized he was talking aloud. 

The hedge wizard sat on the ground not too far away, eyes closed. 

_:I think he's trying to re-balance. All the mages got themselves shaken up, and their magics disrupted.:_

"I should really stop talking aloud." He frowned. _:My thoughts are better but I still feel strange.:_

She eyed him thoughtfully. _:You might want to sit down on the ground too. You need to re-connect.:_

_:Reconnect?:_ He knew the confusion wasn't his head this time, but he shifted over to sit by her on the ground. 

_:Haven't you noticed, when looking at other mages, that your grounding is much more, ah, in-depth than others'?:_

_:....No?:_ He didn't see the point of being on the ground but suddenly found it a brilliant idea to sprawl out on it. 

_:You're a bit more dependant on that grounding than others,:_ she explained, eyeing his sprawl with amusement. She didn't try to get him to move, though. _:Physical contact, like what you're doing, will help re-establish it.:_

He frowned at her. He laid down because it was a good idea, not because he thought she was onto something. _:I still don't know what you're referring to.:_

She whickered laughter. _:It's not important right now. I'll mention it later, when your head isn't quite so bad.:_

He huffed, remembering Kero had been there, and looked around to see if she still was. Vianna had said family was fine hadn't she? 

_:She's at the Palace,:_ Vianna reminded him. _:Once your head's a bit better, we'll see about getting to see the others, too.:_

_:My head_ is _better.:_ He huffed and levelled her with an irked look. 

_:Getting that way,:_ she conceded. 

He sighed. _:You're just trying to prevent me from looking like a total idiot in front of everyone... and having the urge to follow on that foot.:_

_:Do you_ want _to look like a total idiot in front of everyone?:_

_:....No:_

_:Then just wait a little longer until you're more coherant.:_ Her voice was satisfied. 

_:....Why did you decide it was a good idea to put me on the floor again? Grounding, wasn't it?:_

_:Yes.:_

_:I feel fine now.:_ He pushed to sit up. 

Just to make sure of that, she dropped her head and nudged the middle of his chest, to see if he was quite as balanced at he thought. 

He threw out a hand to plant int he ground, barely keeping from taking a spill. "Vianna!" 

_:You said something about feeling fine? Lie back down.:_

_:You tried to shove me over!:_

_:Not very hard.:_ Her voice practically glittered with innocence. 

_:See how well I believe you?:_ He gave her a patently unconvinced look. 

_:And on a normal day you would be able to withstand it without a problem. Lie back down.:_

He sighed, but complied lest she decide to lay _on_ him. 

_:Better.:_ She wasn't going to lie down to join him just yet, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to get back up afterward. Instead she stood, patiently next to him, weight off her injured leg. 

He peered up at her, snorting. _:Right.;_

_:It is.:_ An image of a raised eyebrow. _:We'll try again in a minute or two, and_ then _see about going out.:_

_:I'm not an invalid Vianna, just a bit addled.:_

_:And you're rarely addled, so I'm just taking care of you until you're less so.:_

_:...I do not concede that with grace:_

_:But you concede?:_

_:Only so as you wont lay on me.:_

_:I'll take that.:_ She sent him a pleased smile. 

_:Hmph, only because I wouldn't wish to hurt you further by shoving you off me.:_

_:Of course not.:_ Slightly smug. 

He huffed softly, then stretched, testing himself for any injuries that might have been missed. 

Leaning down, she whuffled at him. _:Other than the head and the shoulder, how are you?:_

_:I don't feel anything else wrong.:_

_:You need a shower, though.:_ Then again, she needed a wash as well. 

_:Would you let me do_ that _then?:_

_:Once you can stand solidly.:_

_:You have to let me sit up first.:_ He redirected out, and brushed An'desha a bit. _:You're alright?:_

_:Once you can sit up solidly, then.:_

An'desha's voice was a bit startled, but calmed quickly. _:Mm? Ah, yes. I somehow knew it was coming and curled up on the floor before it hit.:_ There was a pause. _:This was_ it _! This was when I was having the bad feeling about!:_

_:If you'll let me woman!:_ He just huffed at her again. _:That can't have been all of it then, you've been upset longer than one burst would say. ...Tell Vianna to let me off the floor.:_

For a moment there was the faint appearance of a dark-haired, diminuative woman dressed in Herald's Whites standing over him, smiling down at him with bright green eyes and laughing soundlessly. The Vianna shook her head and sent her mane flying and stepped back, still radiating amusement. _:Fine, fine, get up then.:_

_:This was the advent of it. The beginning of it, and now that it's started I'm not so upset.:_ A pause. _:Why won't Vianna let you get off the floor? Are you alright?:_

He blinked at her several times, pausing out of confusion, then realized it wasn't the first time he'd gotten that impression, if not a full visual, and moved to sit back up. _:I hit my head rather hard and was bleeding from the shoulder. And she keeps going on about how my grounding is more intensive than other people's grounding.:_

_:It is,:_ he said blankly, and then there was concern. _:-Do you need a Healer to come look at you?:_

This time Vianna didn't shove at him, though she looked as if she wanted to. 

He eyed her suspiciously back. _:I don't think so? I'm following the goings on far better now.... though I'll admit to not remembering Kero left the room earlier I've recovered since then. ....What do you mean it is? Wouldn't I notice that?:_

_:It just...goes down deeper than most people's, I suppose. More powerful. Like seeing the roots of an ancient Pelagiris tree compared to the roots of a tree here.:_

_:I never realized I grounded at_ all _before coming here An'desha.:_

_:Yours is probably instinctive - you are rather solidly grounded, though. You should ask Vianna or one of your teachers about grounding and centering consciously. Especially if something like_ this _happens again. And I think it will.:_

He grimaced. _:I suppose. It feels like a rather personal thing though.:_

_:It is, but it's necessary to cast safely. And to keep yourself under control.:_

That made him frown. _:I have, to quote some, 'insanely good' control:_

_:I know.:_ Amusement in his voice. _:That will help you, and I imagine you'll have it under control quickly.:_

He felt the urge to scowl and didn't refrain. _:You're laughing at me!:_

_:No! Not really...:_ Despite that, there was still a bit of amusement flickering through. 

_:For some reason I don't believe you.:_ He paused a beat, but his sense of being addled made him a bit bolder than normal. _:And I'm going to sit here until you come kiss me better.:_

There was a ripple of surprise. _:...are you sure you're okay?:_

_:Yes, and I'm not taking it back.:_

Shyly, he finally sent agreement. _:I'll...be there soon. You're in the weapons' salle?:_

_:Where I was left yes.:_ He couldn't help the hint of pleasure that the man would do this for him. 

An'desha headed out, not too upset. He mostly stayed in the miniature Vale because...well, he wasn't comfortable with most Valdamarans. So he planned a path that skirted the more populated areas, still a bit unbalanced. 

Satisfied the man was on his way, he turned his attention to Vianna. "I'll be sitting here a bit longer."

_:Of course_ , _:_ she replied, still amused by it. 

"I'm waiting for An'desha." 

_:I heard.:_

He eyed her, eyes narrowing just a teensy bit. "Alright then,." 

She turned her head nonchalantly to look toward the entrance, waiting for An'desha to arrive. 

He came in already soaked by the rain outside, and shook his head to get rid of the extra water. "Sephiroth?" 

He quirked his lips slightly and tilted his head slowly. "Your clothes are sticking." 

"...well, that's what happens when you get soaked," he said, waving toward the rain outside, and then started toward him. "Are you alright?" 

He followed him with his eyes, blinking a bit as the distance change made his eyes try to unfocus. "I believe so. I'm glad you decided to come. You don't go out often enough." 

He'd caught that change in focus, and crouched down to study him. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"Of course." He reached up to touch his cheek and then gestured at his own shoulder. "Even if it hadn't gone odd, slight concussion. Healing magic doesn't help those." 

"You're right, it doesn't." He frowned, looking slightly torn. "I can't stay for long. There was a Council meeting called, and I need to be there." 

"I understand." He quirked his lips slowly. "But you came. That's what matters. You don't have to stay." 

"Alright. If you're sure." He glanced to Vianna. "You'll be alright too, right?" 

_:Of course. Unlike him, I can wait for a Healer to come out and see me.:_

He curled a lock of An'desha's hair around his fingers before the man could leave. "Don't forget my kiss." 

He blushed, but leaned in to give Sephiroth a kiss, still oddly shy about it. 

He made a pleased sound, content that he'd gotten a kiss instead of stealing one, and kissed back as long as the man was going to linger where he could. 

He pulled back after a moment, slowly and rather reluctantly. He enjoyed kisses, he was just not all that confident about instigating them. 

He released his hair with reluctance. "I always feel better when you kiss me. If you need me for anything in the council because of the different magic basis, just let me know?" 

He nodded. "I'll make sure to tell them. I get the feeling that we _will_ need you, though." 

"Then I'll be needed." He ran his fingers down his arm, then lifted his hand. "Go before they think you aren't coming?" 

"Alright. Firesong should be on his way there as well, so you might want to go find Zack, Cloud and Aeris." Smiling, he turned and headed out into the rain again, this time going directly for the Palace. 

He let out a sigh, then looked to Vianna, "I hope you realize that means I'm getting up now." 

_:I suppose I can't object.:_ She whuffed gently into his hair, disordering it futher. 

He carefully got up. "I need to go at least stand in the rain now." 

She offered her shoulder to him to stand. _:It should take care of the mud, at least.:_

He hauled himself up and then patted her before picking his way towards the door. "It will yes." 

She followed after, taking her time, and stopped inside the door instead of going out into the rain yet. _He_ might want to get wet again, but she'd like to put it off for a while. 

He moved outside and tilted his head back, taking a moment to just savor the rain, then started off in the direction he'd last heard Zack was. She looked after him and debated just staying in the salle. But it would be a lot better to get some place that was warm, so that her hip didn't stiffen up. Finally she started after him, shaking her head momentarily as she got rained on. 

He looked over to her as he caught her out of the corner of his eye. "Do you need my help for anything?" 

_:I should be okay. I just don't want to stay out here and stiffen up.:_

"Then I'll see you later, you poke a healer." 

_:We're going to see one,:_ she reminded him with a tickle of humor. _:Or at least, where he hopefully is.:_

He paused, then sighed. "You know I'm still not used to that of him." 

_:I know. And he isn't primarily a healer, nor will he ever be. So think of it as a new skill set he's managed to pick up.:_ Despite that, her tone was kind. 

He just snorted softly and reached over to rest a hand on her back as they walked.


	14. Chapter 14

Karal trailed along the hallway from the Council room. Master Ulrich had given him the rest of the evening off, with a reminder to get to bed early, so that he could be up early enough in the morning for...well, for the trip he was going to make. But he wasn't sure he could rest just yet. 

Zack perked up the moment he saw the familiar figure headed around a corner, pushing to his feet quickly and checking on his offerings. His slightly nibbled offerings. Meeting was freaking -long-. But he made right for the guy. 

He blinked, lifting his head and then smiling a little at Zack, still slightly strained. "Good evening." 

He grinned as the man noticed him, then hooked his arm over his shoulders to head off down the hall with him. "You look peaky, food? They get anything decided in there?" 

He'd slowly gotten used to the close physical contact that Zack preferred, but he still wasn't comfortable with it. "There are what appear to be circles of changed land around - the gryphons are going to be flying a scouting run to the south." A pause. "They're taking me with them, to record things." 

"Oh! You're so lucky!" He flashed him a grin, then offered him the bag. "I got bread cheese and some meat thingies I made. The cooks kept looking at me funny for that one but they're more solid than lunchmeat.": 

"...lucky. Right." He looked in the bag then, willing to try just about anything foodwise. That was something he'd always been willing to do. Retrieving one, he took a bite, raised his eyebrows, and nodded to himself before swallowing. "They're very good." 

"Yeah, I really dunno what to make of the cows so I had to improvise." 

He shook his head. "I don't have much more experience, so you're safe there." 

He grinned. "I always liked cookin. I'd help Aeris bake. She taught me how to make the most _awesome_ cake. So, you going directly up or what?" 

"What? Oh, you mean with the gryphons?" He'd already gone through several more of the meat, bread and cheese combinations. "No, that's tomorrow morning, at dawn. 

"Ohhh, Well, then you have time for me now!" He flashed him a wide grin and steered him off in his chosen direction. 

"Pardon?" He blinked as he was redirected. 

"Not that I don't adore having the other two to myself mind, but Cloud is fidgety and Seph is still kinda loopy and you're nice and calm, and totally in need of spending time with me see?"

"Ah, is he alright?" 

"He hit his head. I patched him and Vianna up as much as I could, but he's still a little off. It's kinda worrying to tell truth, and I know he doesn't like hoverin." 

He nodded slowly. "I wouldn't think he'd be the sort who would like someone hovering, no." 

"He's not, and Vianna is already doin it. I think the only person he _wants_ hovering right now is An'desha, and I'm sure the heck not that side of the love stick." He shook his head wryly. "So I decided to come spend time with you." He grinned. "And feed you, cause you never seem to eat enough when you get busy. I bet you were thinking of a nap weren't ya?" 

"Master Ulrich suggested I get to sleep early, and it seemed like a good idea," he said reluctantly. 

"Were you at least gonna snack before crawling in?" He finally firmed up a direction and headed for the kitchen where he'd made things earlier. Treat time. 

"Probably. If nothing else, Master Ulrich should have food waiting for him when he gets back from his meeting with the mages." 

He nodded and looked around. "You know... how much have you explored around here? Seriously?" 

"Not much, really." He watched him carefully. "Why?" 

"Cause I have and hrm. Well, I changed my mind again." Deciding the kitchens could wait a bit longer, he headed for the Companion's field. There were a couple who deigned to talk to him there. 

He sighed and shook his head at the mercurial attitude, but followed along gamely. If nothing else, Florian could help him calm down as well. 

"I'm going to take you exploring on a day you don't have an early morning okay?" 

"I appreciate it," he said wryly. 

"Well, I could do it right now, but do you really _want_ to?" 

"I really do appreciate your choice, Zack." 

"I know. So, since you seem to have a bit of autopilot to the field, and I've never seen you out here, whose your chat buddy in the field?" 

"Florian. Apparently the Companions decided that I needed an advisor," he said wryly. 

He laughed quietly. "Now you have me wondering if he's one of the ones that's ever said anything to me, since there's a mass of em and all." He reached the edge of the field and wandered in, looking around to see who all was where. 

"I'm fine with just Florian talking to me." He leaned on the fence, looking out across the Field at the gathered Companions. 

Two of the separated from the nearest group, one he recognized as Florian, and the other a half-grown colt, and came toward them. 

He released Karal finally and held his hands out to the little guy. "Aaron! How you doing kiddo?"

* * *

Cloud had been a bit restless while waiting for the meeting to break up and release Firesong. They'd intended to spend a bit more time together today, but, well, obviously that hadn't worked out how either of them had hoped. So as soon as he saw him, he looped their arms together and started to walk. In spite of the late hour and rain. "They _are_ finished with you for the night aren't they?" 

He blinked as he was pulled away from his conversation with Darkwind, startled to see Cloud there. "Ah...I suppose? We were discussing the storm wave, and we are going to be helping the gryphons scout in the morning..." 

Cloud looked to Darkwind without releasing his lover. "You don't mind do you?" 

He watched the both of them with amusement. "Of course not. I'll leave you two to find your bed...whenever." Throwing them an idle wave, he left them to it. 

"Are you alright? You weren't harmed when the storm wave passed over, were you?" He'd already checked him over carefully, but several mages had a few odd aftereffects. 

Cloud relaxed a little when the man left. Not to say that he minded him, they'd talked a few times and he reminded him a bit of Nanaki, but he really just wanted the two of them to talk just now. He started them walking. "Not exactly, but I have been feeling restless. Not paranoid, just twitchy." 

"Considering what just happened, I'm not too surprised," he said soothingly, stroking a hand over his arm. 

He shook his head a little though, sighing. "I just feel like I'm being... watched. And not by you or Aeris, I'm used to those." 

Automatically he probed the shields he'd set up around Cloud, checking for any signs of intrusions. 

He relaxed a little, knowing the other man would be able to tell, but Aeris hadn't found anything, so he doubted he would either. "Nothing?" 

"No, but I'm inclined to be cautious after what just happened," he said, frowning. 

Cloud nodded. "I'm always cautious, you know that." He gave him a wry look and squeezed his arm. "I'm still getting used to being any other way." 

"Ah, but just because you're paranoid, it does not mean that you are not unobserved," he said cheerfully. 

Cloud drew up a bit, slightly offended. "I'm not unobservant!" His heart wasn't in it though, he knew he was dense about people sometimes. Okay, a lot. 

He blinked, startled. "I...That wasn't what I meant, Cloud. I meant to say that simply because we haven't found anything, you aren't necessarily wrong about being watched." 

He paused then, rubbing his face. "I guess this whole thing has me more confused than I thought, I entirely misheard you." 

"Come, then. Let's walk together, and not think about it for now. I much prefer to spend an evening in your company relaxing, rather than worrying about might-have-beens." 

He snorted softly and dropped his hand, looking sideways at him and shaking his head. "I suppose that's why we work then." He relaxed though, starting to walk again. "Not thinking about it sounds good." 

"You do indeed worry about such things far too often," he teased, matching his pace. 

"According to you I worry too much about everything Firesong." His voice was dry. 

"You do, _ke'chara_." 

He just shook his head. "That's a consensus for pretty much everyone I've ever met then." He quirked his lips. "Mostly." 

"I know," he said merrily. "Now. Did you have a destination, and if so, do we get to avoid going outside in the rain?" 

Cloud just smirked and headed for the doors. "No, and I was planning to enjoy the rain." 

He shuddered delicately, but followed after him. "Rain is only pleasent when it is _warm_ , _ke'chara._ " 

"I grew up in the mountains, and an outcast at that. I spent a lot of time in the snow as a kid." He smiled a little. "My favorite spots always tended to be pretty cold, but it doesn't bother me." He wrinkled his nose. "I'm just glad I can't really get overheated anymore." 

He shivered again. "I do _not_ particularly enjoy such things, as much as you speak of the so-called 'joys' of snow." 

He snorted softly. "It's serene. I like that." 

"There is plenty of serenity to be found within a quiet corner of a Vale, or even outside in the forest during the more comfortable months," he said, teasing back. 

"I like heights, I know I've mentioned that to you. And the best spots always had arctic winds half the year." He shook his head. "Even Midgar and Edge weren't exempt from that when not in the winter months." He shook his head, tilting his face up slightly as they passed into the light rain. "It's not even raining very hard out here anyway, I don't see why you're complaining." 

"Heights are not an issue," he said patiently. "I grew up in them. The trees around here are pathetic - really, I'll have to bring to you k'Treva at some point to show you what a _proper_ life is like. And it's still _cold_ out here," he finished. 

Cloud gave him a fully incredulous look then. "Firesong, it's not cold." 

He paused and smirked a little. "Oh, but it gives me something to complain about." Even as he did so he expended a little bit of energy to cast a gentle heat spell around the both of them. 

Cloud made an amused noise. "And you always have to complain about something, don't you?" 

"I am utterly unfufilled without it!" 

"So sad that it's true..." Cloud smiled though. 

"Ah, but when I'm with you my only regret is that I don't have even more time." His smile was as charming as usual, with with a softer edge than usual. 

Cloud's smile softened for a moment, then he twitched, jerking around as he felt something _very_ familiar. It felt like a rush of lifestream but that _couldn't_ be right... 

Chaos rolled, skimming too far down before appearing here, and he pulled his wings in as he came to a stop. The fledgling had best be here, because it was only a heartbeat before his connection to the dark void within the lifestream closed off from him. No going back there then, but he wasn't shocked, the planet _had_ wanted to get rid of all things related to the one that had hurt her. 

Full battle-shields snapped into life around the both of them, mage fires springing to life in his hands as he studied the Changechild that had appeared. Automatically he sent his mind to trace whatever spell it was that had brought it here. 

Cloud reacted totally differently, his tension fading in an instant as he went straight for the figure, something between caution and eagerness in his step. "Vincent?" 

"No." The word was more growl than anything, and glowing gold eyes turned to the blond as he sat up, clawed hands brushing off mud and wet grass. There was satisfaction in his tone though. "Fledgeling." 

"...another comrade of yours?" There was tension in his voice though, as he studied the being. Not even necessarily a Changechild, as he'd first thought. Too powerful. 

Cloud nodded to Firesong, then crossed his arms, stopping next to the figure as he watched him get to his feet. "Chaos. Give Vincent back the body." 

"He's unconscious. The trip and battle were hard." He tilted his head, flashing him a fanged smile. "You did not need help much to fight our last fight. It was for me." 

He dismissed the arcane energies - well, most of them. He kept his shields up, watching him carefully. 

Cloud narrowed his eyes and just gave him a look. "I really don't believe you. Since you're so trustworthy and all. Vincent, now." His tone was steely, and rather of the air that he expected his order to be followed. 

It got a sigh. "Fledgeling." 

"Chaos." His tone was warning. 

Then, the demon huffed, drawing up slightly. "Fine. We aren't leaving though." He pointed at the blond. "The Planet won't take anyone with any hint of _he_ \- back, not even guardians like you or I." Then he shook everything off, falling back to a rather dazed looking red eyed man. 

Cloud immediately leaned to brush black hair out of the man's eyes. "Vincent?' 

He frowned as he watched the two of them, and then started at the odd transformation, both on the physical and magical level. "Like Need," he muttered to himself. 

"Need?" Cloud glanced to Firesong, then back to Vincent as the man's human hand curled around his wrist. 

"Cloud." He blinked a few times, feeling horribly nauseous. "The battle with Omega is over?" Then his eyes darted around and he frowned. "....This isn't Edge."

"I've told you about her, right? Woman who forged her soul into a sword?" He was _fairly_ sure he'd mentioned her at one point. "And no, good sir," he added, "You're currently in Haven, the capital city of the country of Valdemar. Nowhere you've been." 

Cloud's confusion resolved itself, and he looked to Vincent. "Chaos said you can't get back to Gaia... and I have no idea who Omega is actually, so maybe?" He paused and bit his lip, leaning in. "Vincent. There are a few things you need to brace for here okay?" 

Vincent gave him a little frown, then looked to Firesong. "Valdemar... isn't on Gaia I take it." He looked from one to the other, then inclined his head. "Vincent Valentine." 

He bowed in return. "I am Firesong k'Treva. And...no, I don't believe so." 

"I know all of Gaia, more or less." He shook his head. "I would know if I was on it still." He looked to Cloud and arched an eyebrow. "Brace for?" 

Cloud nodded, then took a deep breath to just _say_ it. "Sephiroth is alive and we're not fighting." He shifted his grip at once as Vincent's eyes went wide and the man wavered in place. Maybe he should have waited for him to recover a little more. 

Ah, that part of it. He stayed quiet for now, allowing Cloud to be the one to explain things. 

Vincent drew a deep breath, unable to help the edge of hope in his voice. "He's sane?" 

Cloud sighed softly, then nodded. "You can talk to him now, yeah." 

He watched the pair of them speak, listening to the undertones of the words. So not all of Cloud's allies regarded him badly. 

Vincent looked a little alarmed for a beat, then nodded once, crisply. "I should, yes. Did you ever tell him what we did to Hojo?" When Cloud nodded, he sighed. "Well, there went one conversation starter." 

Cloud squeezed his arm slightly. "Vincent. He's not going to blame you. We've been over this. _All_ of this. I've even hinted a bit here and there about the Lucretia thing, okay? Just... he's actually sort of like I used to hope he was when I was a kid." He shook his head. 

"Sephiroth is an honorable man," he said quietly, firmly. "And a very kind one, to those he cares for." 

Vincent let out a slow breath. "Which is exactly what I always hoped he would be. I suppose I'd just given up on the idea of ever getting to speak with him." He nodded to the man after a glance to Cloud. "I'll be fine, thank you." 

Cloud eyed the other man a moment, then relaxed, finally making his way over to Firesong. "I don't feel like I'm being watched anymore." 

Sighing softly after a second, he shook his head, a wry grin on his face. "I'm not sure who's going to be more annoyed at me for someone else from your world showing up." 

Cloud snorted at that and smirked. "At least it wasn't Yuffie. Or Nanaki. Nanaki would confuse people. 

"Nanaki would have pretended he didn't speak until he figured out what was going on." Vincent snorted, relaxing. "So, you're Cloud's then." 

"From what I know of him, your Nanaki would have gotten along just fine, especially if it happened to be Rris or one of the others that found him." Raising an eyebrow at them, he smirked. "You forget, there are a number of intelligent nonhumans here. He'd be fine." Glancing at Vincent alone, he nodded, espression turning pleased. "I suppose so, yes." 

"Nanaki looks like he's constantly on fire. I'd half expect to see someone try to douse him with water and ask questions later." Cloud's voice was dry. 

"I can tell, and he looks more happy than content... I haven't really ever seen him that way." He tilted his head at Cloud, who gave him an amused look and nodded to the unspoken question. They'd talk about what happened later. Then he looked to Firesong again. "And intelligent nonhumans?" 

"So does Aya, but no one tries to douse him," he pointed out. Nodding to Vincent, he explained, "Previously, the only ones that the Valdamarans knew were the Companions - magical horse-like beings that are just as smart as humans." A pause. "Ah, a horse is a four-legged creature that serves a similar function to your chocobos." Then he continued. "The Tayledras, like myself, have known of several other races of intelligences, and dealt with them regularly. Upon arriving here, we introduced several of them to the Valdamarans." 

Vincent looked contemplative a moment. "Nanaki still wouldn't have spoken before knowing that. He's cautious. Young for his race, but cautious." He shook his head. "Yuffie though... well, we'll be glad she's not here, she's a good person, but she's very overenthusiastic, thus why I think Cloud even mentioned her." 

"That's why I said it might have been different if it were Rris, or one of the others," he said, shrugging. 

_:Cloud, what's going on? I thought I felt- well, Chaos. Vincent.:_ Aeris' voice was sleepy as she reached toward him. 

_:You did.:_ Cloud made an amused noise. "Rris looks like a more doglike version of what Nanaki is Vincent. Just without the tail on fire and the bright red color." 

Vincent blinked a few times. "Oh. Well, that's different then I suppose." 

"The _kyree_ are perfectly normal," he said calmly. "Though the only creatures that have fire are the firebirds. The _kyree_ have the occasional mage, though." He shrugged, pleased. 

_:He's here?:_ She perked up and started toward them, picking up a trot to get there faster. 

_:Yes he is. Chaos dragged them here and said that anyone with Jenova isn't gonna ever get back to Gaia.:_ He considered how to explain Nanaki, then gave up and just gave the man a picture. "Nanaki can use materia without any issues and doesn't need it for fire." 

Vincent quieted for the moment, looking around. "Different to me then." 

_:It...is quite possible_ , _:_ she said regretfully. _:It's difficult to travel between the worlds as it is.:_ She trotted up out of the rain, ears perked as she saw him. _:Vincent!:_

He blinked at the mental image. "Hm. Very interesting." 

Vincent blinked, then turned in place, seeing a white... thing, but hearing Aeris. It was disorienting to say the least. "....Aeris?" 

Cloud nodded. "We broke him out of a lab and he's been a good friend since." 

She leaned down, nodding. _:Yes, it's me. I, ah. got stuck in this shape.:_ Sheepish. 

"How did you meet Vincent?" 

Vincent stared at her for a moment, something very.... off. "... Aeris, are you a _male_?" 

"We woke him up from his box where he'd been sleeping. He decided to come with us after Sephiroth." 

She ducked her head, embarrassed. _:I_ said _it was an accident!:_

"... _ke'chara_ , you meet people in the most interesting places." 

Vincent chuckled softly, then moved forward to rest his hand on her head. "Only you get into these situations miss Gainsborough." 

Cloud smiled slightly. "He was a little cranky." 

_:Aeris, not Miss Gainsborough,:_ she chided. _:And...I really didn't intend to.:_

"I'm not always in a particularly good mood after being woken either," he teased. 

"You know I only use that to tease." It was a murmur. "It's good to see you alive again. After three years we still wore our ribbons." 

Cloud nodded, though paused, glancing to Vincent. "Three?" 

_:Oh...dear.:_ A thoughtful pause. _:Three versions of Gaia are involved now.:_

Vincent nodded to Cloud, then tilted his head slowly before shaking it. "No, no Chaos says there are echoes of the rest of you leaving, a thinness to the one that was left behind so to speak, but you're complete, if that makes sense?" 

_:Ah, that makes sense. More than I thought it would.:_ She nodded at that. 

"Hm. I think I get it. Not entirely, but..." He shrugged. 

Cloud frowned a little, opening his mouth, then pausing. "...So the echoes are less right? But we're whole." He knew he was repeating but... "Is it possible that's why everything... broke?" 

Vincent looked at Cloud. "You mean Sephiroth's madness under the pressure of jenova." 

_:Cloud didn't break after he left, did he?:_

Vincent shook his head slightly. "When exactly did Cloud _leave_ and I'll tell you." 

_:Almost two years after I died.:_

He watched the pair patiently, waiting for them to establish what was necessary. 

Vincent paused for a moment. "During the Geostigma?' 

She nodded again. _:Yes. The Healers here could counter it.:_

"Then yes. He was faded, but we just thought it was because he had been dead and sent back. He seemed more at peace in any case, so we thought perhaps he'd just lost the urge to constantly fight. You stopped visiting him like you used to as well." 

_:Those echoes must be made at least partially possible by the physical body. Until I came here, I wasn't physical, so I wouldn't be capable of visiting at all. There would be no echo of me there.:_

"Personally, I'm rather pleased that he came here," Firesong said, a pleased edge of posessiveness to his voice. 

Cloud glanced to Firesong with a small snort, then looked to Aeris. "You don't remember visiting me?" 

She paused, then huffed and shook her head, sending her mane flying. _:I mean...it makes sense that, after Cloud left Gaia, 'I' wouldn't visit him as much there, if at all. You all are alive. You have bodies that the echo could be in. I was a spirit, and so left the world fully.:_

Cloud relaxed a little and nodded. "That makes far more sense." 

Vincent patted her nose. "And now you have a body." 

"You didn't make too much sense the first time around," he said, rather amused. 

She snorted softly at him and nuzzled Vincent's hand. 

Cloud smiled at the non-response and rested his hand on Firesong's waist. _:What was with the possessiveness Firesong?:_ He petted a little and watched the other two for a quiet moment. 

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. _:I suppose it is the presence of another person from your world - but this time, someone who was a close ally. I know that we are lifebonded, but...I can't quite help myself.:_

Cloud shook his head a little. _:Vincent likes women. Whatever else he is, that never got there. We're close though, he was my best friend after Zack. I'll have to stay close by when he talks to Sephiroth, he'll need the support."_

A soft breath of relief escaped. _:I should have known that. But...what sort of support will he need?:_

_:He's never spoken to Sephiroth. He's his son.:_ Cloud watched Vincent with a wry smile, then shook his head. "Lets get everyone out of the rain, it's starting to pick up." 

He took another quick look at Vincent, and decided he was probably much like the Tayledras in that he didn't physically age much. "I approve of this decision," he said instead, assuming his usual haughty attitude. 

Vincent arched an eyebrow and glanced to Cloud. "Not as bad as Reno I suppose..." Then he shook his head and gestured them to lead the way. 

Cloud flushed the slightest bit. "That never got anywhere and you know it." He shook his head and started to tug Firesong towards their place. He let himself be "tugged" along, smiling a little. 

Aeris followed them - she'd been in the foul-weather barn for the Companions, but felt like keeping up with Vincent and the others now. _:What did you mean by Omega?:_

"Omega is one of the handful from deepground. He... basically they roused up the world destroyer. Enough deaths in rapid succession were being caused to wake it in him, and they tried to get the planet to suicide. One of their group defected, Shelke. That might have had to do with her having Lucretia's memories." He held up a hand immediately. "Please please don't ask, she looked twelve and I found her more unnerving than anything. However, Chaos took offense and apparently he's a failsafe in case the death of the planet is premature." 

There was a pause. "You have a being to end the planet, and then another that is a failsafe in case the first one doesn't work? Why wouldn't it be possible just to not have the first one?" Then again, who was he to question the gods, of any world? 

Vincent looked to Firesong. "Omega.... Omega was created that the planet can join where it goes when it dies. Like where spirits go to the planet when _they_ die. Chaos was allowed to leave because after so many close calls... next time, the planet feels it will be long in coming and thus it wants it to happen."


	15. Chapter 15

_The hunters were close, Tarryl's muscles flexing beneath her, straining after the long run. And even now, she could hear them behind her, her death coming on magic and blood. The message in her pouch burned in her mind, and suddenly she realized that she wouldn't be able to make it, they'd catch her and take her and people would die, she and Tarryl the least among them. But she had the tiniest spark of magery, just enough to...to protect Valdemar. To protect her people. Tarryl's silent assent touched her, and he slewed about as they reached the top of the ridge, staring down at dark-clad Karsites, and reaching into that spark at the center of her being even as she drew her sword._

_"For VALDEMAR!" And then she called down Final Strike, feeling it burn her away, feeling Tarryl pulling her away into the light of the Havens-_

He jerked awake hard enough that he tumbled out of bet, getting a sleepy inquiry from Zack, who rolled to peer over the edge at him with one eye. 

Vianna jerked out of her dream as well, staggering to her feet, eyes unfocused and unnoticing of Sephiroth for the time being. 

That was _not_ his. He patted Zack and jerked on some pants, not bothering with anything else as he made his way to Vianna. 

She swung her head around, blinking unsteadily at him. _:...Sephiroth? Did I...wake you?:_

"Something like that." It was a murmur, and he studied her a moment before wrapping an arm around her neck and using his other arm to press her face against his chest, his fingers smoothing her mane. 

_:I'm sorry,:_ she said, still rather disoriented. _:I didn't mean to project.:_

He tightened his arms a little. "Shhh." 

She leaned against him again, just a little, before shaking a bit and steadying. _:Thank you. I'm alright now.:_

_:Was dying painful Vianna?:_

_:...I don't really remember. It happened so fast.:_

_:I'm glad.:_

She sighed and slowly lowered herself to the ground once again. _:I was...a Herald-Courier. I barely had any Gifts at all. Just enough to be Chosen, really. The Karsites had me cornered, and I had no choice. Better to die than to give up my message.:_

He moved so he could continue to pet her mane. _:That's the right way.:_

She widened her send to include Zack. _:You'll find that all Companions were once Heralds, with one exception - Rolan.:_

Zack roused himself up a bit more. _:And Aeris. Seph okay?:_

Seph settled himself next to her after getting a brush so he could start smoothing out her coat. 

_:Well, the Monarch's Own traditionally. But yes, and Aeris.:_ She whickered at the feel of brush on her coat. 

Zack rubbed his eyes. _:Not goin back to sleep until you say Seph's okay.:_

_:He should be. I just...leaked a nightmare. Sorry.:_

_:Feel better Vianna:_ With that, Zack tried to go back to sleep. 

Seph continued his gentle grooming, determined to settle his Companion back down. 

_:I'm sorry,:_ she told Seph privately. _:I wish I hadn't woken you up.:_

_:I'm not upset.:_

_:I didn't say you were. I just wish I hadn't woken you with my nightmares.:_

_:Then you wish in vain.:_

_:I know, it's too late. I shouldn't have been projecting like that, though,:_ she mumured, but considering how close their bond was, it also shouldn't have surprised her. 

_:It doesn't matter, you needed me to know, so you told me the only way you honestly could.:_

She whickered laughter softly. _:That's one way to look at it. Do you believe in reincarnation, where you're from?:_

_:There are those who don't? It's not as though it's not glaringly obvious on Gaia.:_

_:It isn't something we regularly bandy about. And most Heralds and Companions avoid coming back during the lifetime of anyone who knew them to avoid complications, aside from one particular exception.:_

_:People don't remember anything when they're reborn, typically.:_

_:Most reborn as humans don't,:_ she aknowledged. _:The difficulty comes when you have people who sense auras and personalities around all the time.:_

_:I don't know, possibly.:_

Vianna finally shook her head a little. _:It doesn't really matter.:_

He laughed softly and ran a hand down her neck. _:I suppose not.:_

_:I'm sorry about waking you. I hope you can get a little more sleep,:_ she murmured, already nodding off. 

He smiled sadly and stroked her neck, then put up the brush, moving off to the main building. He paused a moment, then turned and headed in another direction instead, deciding to spend a little time alone. Admittedly it was painfully early in the morning, but he didn't really feel like sleeping. He glanced to himself. He was not dressed for public consumption in either case. Moving to peek in on where the instruments were kept, he was grateful no one was up, picking up one of the little string things before making his way to find a nice secluded spot where he hopefully wouldn't wake anyone. He'd been wanting to see if he still had any talent for music for the last month or so. What better time to see than when he couldn't sleep? 

It was a little while before he found something that rang correctly to him on the strings of the intstrument, and he closed his eyes, paying no attention to the lyrics as he felt the soothing, he'd forgotten how soothing it was, sensation of letting that around him to speak for itself. He wouldn't have noticed anyone at that point no matter how noisy. The sound of music rang through keen ears, the melody not quite anything he'd heard recently, nor even resembling the Valdamaran music. And the language certainly wasn't like it at all, which made his heart leap in his chest. Nudging the other, he started down, landing surprisingly quietly in the garden, where they studied the man they'd thought lost to them. 

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here," the darker of the two gryphons said, pleased. 

He jerked at the sound of a voice, briefly disconcerted at the sound of it before he lifted his head, unfocused eyes blinking at the Griffons in bewilderment. 

"It's not like you to get so caught up in something that you ignore your surroundings, Sephiroth." What was rather notable about the pair was that both the black gryphon, and now the red, were speaking perfectly fluent common. 

He stared, then rubbed his hand over his eyes, unable to reconcile that voice to the image in front of him. "Excuse me, what?" 

"Really, has this new place addled your brains? You should be faster on the uptake than this." 

"Genesis." The dark gryphon glared at the red with blue eyes that almost seemed to glow, then glanced back at Sephiroth. "I'm sorry. I'm Angeal. After we...died, we woke up here. Like this." 

He drew in a sharp breath, then shoved to his feet, staring at them both for a beat before spinning on his heel to walk away. 

Genesis hissed and leaped, landing on the other side of Sephiroth and spreading his wings to bar the way. "Don't you turn your back on us. Don't you _dare_!" 

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, meeting his eyes evenly and saying nothing. 

" _Say_ something!" He growled, ignoring Angeal as the darker gryphon tried to get him to shut up. 

"Fine. I'll dare as I like, because it isn't turning your back if the people in question _already left you_." His voice dropped to a hiss. "Let me pass." 

" _No._ You think I _wanted_ to go insane? You think I _wanted_ to fall apart from the inside out? Ha! And you accuse _me_ of being self-centered." 

"I think you wanted to make complete sure that I got no say in the matter and took efforts to make it so. Let me pass." He turned to duck around him, feeling the simmer of anger and hurt welling up. 

"Of course I didn't want you involved!" He twisted, blocking him again. "Why would I? After everything that had happened, I didn't even want _Angeal_ involved until it proved to be too late for him as well!" 

"Well I WAS!" He flexed his hands, aware his voice was going up because of the kind of anger, but had nothing he could do to stop it. Genesis had always hit his temper and this was infinitely worse. "Who did you think they'd send after you? WHO DID YOU THINK WOULD HAVE TO WATCH?"

The sudden surge of anger through their bond made Vianna jerk awake just as rapidly as the nightmare, though she was far more focused this time. _:Sephiroth!:_ Without really _thinking_ , she reached out, grabbing the blankets of the bed and slinging them aside, and then grabbing the waistband of Zack's pants with surprisingly delicate (if rushed motions, and flung him onto her back as she took off for the garden where her Chosen was. 

"I WASSSN'T THINKING!" he bellowed back with full gryphonic volume, not even aware of the hiss that had crept into his carefully-trained speech or the edge of a battle-screech in it. "I was FALLING APART, you BASTARD!" 

His voice dropped at once to a growl, and he stalked closer. "Of course you weren't _thinking_. You were too busy taking every fucking person who could possibly do _anything_ , ANYTHING, to help me deal with _you_. At least he isn't trying to give me fucking excuses." He pointed at Angeal. "He at least seems to get that it wasn't all this big unavoidable woe is me situation. Unless he's just keeping out of it because you're doing a fine thing speaking for both of you. What did you even last see Genesis hmm? Did you see the years after Angeal died? Did you see me considering doing things rather poorly just because I was tired of being alone for _no good reason_ hmm? Or were you just gone then here and missed the fall out? Missed Zack's little breakdown, instigated, ultimately, by you? You left, took most of them with you. Angeal went, more left, then _Lazard left_ , leaving me with a handful of people, only one or two of which I could trust even as far as I could throw them. But I am apparently supposed to consider it all better because you _WEREN'T THINKING_." 

Zack was jarred by more than just being grabbed, grief and pain and anger addling him as he clung to the mane under his hands in confusion. 

He hissed, winged mantled and claws digging into the ground, some part of him well aware that he should have backed off by now, but he couldn't, not from Sephiroth. Not ever from Sephiroth. He _didn't_ back off. "Oh, of _courrrsse_ I wass awarre while my body and brrrain werre practically rrrotting from the inssside out. Afterr all, it wasss _sssso_ eassy to focuss on what in all the hellss wasss happening. If I'd had any _choice_ , though, I wouldn't have gone. I-" And then he went silent, as Angeal finally stepped forward, placing a claw on Genesis' shoulder. The red gryphon turned his head away, hackles raised anyway. 

"I'm sorry." He said nothing else. 

_:Something's going on. I don't know what. Something's...I've never felt him this angry!:_ She didn't even bother going for a gate, just securing Zack with a touch of her mind and going over a wall, ignoring what the gardeners would say about their torn-up gardens. 

Sephiroth stared at him, shaking his head roughly. "You left. You mean to tell me they set you on fire hmm? Drove you off with blades and persistence did they? Imagine that. You were driven off so utterly promptly with no warning or explanation. How good of you. Angeal caught up to you as nicely crisp and randomly. Even better right?" His tone was almost a taunt, icing at the edges as hurt tried to overtake anger. "After all, you couldn't have said anything. That would have been impossible! It's not like I _asked_ or anything! In fact, obviously I wasn't important enough to _you_ that you ever even needed to say my feelings mattered at all! Angeal explained, after months. Greeted me by commenting on my weight. What a way to show concern. You though. You. You just stayed the hell away like you'd forgotten I existed in the first place!" 

"He's angry?" Zack didn't try to sit up, looking around. That was Seph projecting all that at him? 

Genesis turned to growl back at him, only to find Angeal's claw actually _holding his beak shut_. 

"There isn't anything we can say to make this better," he said softly, still holding the other gryphon fairly quiet. 

_:Furious. I don't know why. But it's- oh.:_ Her voice turned startled, and a little saddened. _:Oh.:_ Then she skidded around the last corner, coming into sight of the trio. 

"Vianna what's goin on?" 

Seph just looked at him, clenching his jaw against pain as his anger just... just deflated all at once. "Then why did you bother me?" 

"To apologize. So at least that isn't left undone." 

_:Don't you recognize the way they feel? The dark one, especially.:_

Zack tensed and shook his head. "No way." 

He closed his eyes a moment, battling the keen edge of pain. "Just go away." 

Angeal let go of Genesis and leaned forward slowly, so that Sephiroth could easily dodge it if he wanted, and gently preened a lock of silver hair in what was becoming a natural gesture of affection in this form. "I missed you." His voice was regretful, but he turned away after that, ready to leave, only to stop still once again at the sight of Zack, eyes wide. 

_:I'm afraid so. I'm sorry, Zack.:_ And she started forward, focused on her Chosen, even if the path would take the two of them right past the gryphons. 

"...I am sorry, Sephiroth." It was barely audible, but it escaped from Genesis' beak anyway, his head hanging as his feathers smoothed down. 

Zack slid down from Vianna's back, looking from one to the other, though he focused more on Angeal. Damn it. It _was_ Angeal, there was no mistaking him, no matter what he looked like. But he couldn't say anything. All words left him as he was torn between burning happiness, guilt, and sadness. 

Sephiroth opened his eyes, and his gaze caught on Vianna. Vianna. He immediately took the two steps forward to wrap his arms around her neck and pressed his face to her fur as he tried to quell rising tears, the instrument in his hand finally thumping to the ground in a discordant clatter.

_:Chosen.:_ The word ached with shared grief, and protectiveness, and pure, overarching love, as she curved her neck to pull him closer. _:I'm here, Chosen.:_

"...Zack." Angeal's voice was still low, but firm, even if saddened. 

"Angeal." Zack paused a beat, looked away from him to Seph, then back. "You're here." It was a murmur, and he took a step forward, resting a hand tentatively on his beak. He glanced to Seph again. "I don't think he can handle it if you two do that to him again Angeal." His voice was very soft. 

Seph ignored them, trying to wade out of the too intense emotions, trying to find himself amid them. 

_:Ground and center, Chosen.:_ She helped him, smoothing out the ragged edges of his connection with the planet, centering their bond more powerfully as well. 

"We don't intend on doing that to him again." Slowly, he took a step forward. "Or you." 

"He's hurting so bad right now he's makin _me_ want to cry Angeal. I did all that years ago." Zack gave him a shaky smile and shook his head, then wrapped his arms around his neck. 

He nodded shakily and rubbed his face off on her fur, taking deep breaths as he tried to... ground in a less intimate way. 

"I wish we hadn't hurt him," he said matter-of-factly. "But we were given a second chance at life, and so there was no way we were going to just give it up. Not after what happened." At the hug, he stiffened for one startled moment, then leaned into it, gently preening dark hair. "I apologize for what I did to you, as well."

There was a nod of acceptance, to that, but it made the following silence no less heavy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd this is all that was written! If we ever write more to this, I'll take it off complete status, but really, it can stand as it is. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
